Burnout, Professional, Emotional Exhaustion, Emotions, Satisfaction, Personal, Wellness, Psychological
Conditions
Keywords
Psychological resilience, Positive Psychology
Brief summary
The goal of this clinical trial, nested within an observational cohort study, is to evaluate whether two positive psychology web-based interventions can reduce emotional exhaustion and improve overall well-being in practicing physicians in Switzerland. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does participation in positive psychology interventions reduce emotional exhaustion at three months post-intervention? How do these interventions impact physician wellness, job satisfaction, comfort with end-of-life communication and other aspects of physicians' emotional well-being? Researchers will compare the effects of two intervention arms (general reflection vs. work-specific reflection) to a control group to determine whether focusing on work-specific aspects leads to greater improvements in emotional exhaustion and job-related outcomes. Participants will: * Complete an 8-day intervention consisting of positive psychology activities delivered online. * Complete baseline and follow-up assessments over the study period
Detailed description
Burnout, emotional exhaustion, and moral distress are widespread among physicians, negatively impacting patient care, job satisfaction, and physician retention in the workforce. While interventions targeting burnout exist, many require significant time commitments or institutional support, limiting accessibility. Positive psychology interventions, which emphasize strengths-based approaches such as self-reflection, gratitude, and self-compassion, have shown promise in enhancing resilience and well-being. The INSPIRE study is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) nested within an observational cohort using a Trial within Cohort (TwiC) design. It evaluates two web-based positive psychology interventions aimed at reducing emotional exhaustion and improving physician well-being. A subset of cohort participants is randomized into one of three arms: a control group, a general life reflection intervention, or a work-focused reflection intervention. The interventions consist of an 8-day structured self-reflection program delivered online. The study employs automated randomization, triple masking (participants, investigators, and outcome assessors), and longitudinal assessments over one year. Findings will inform the scalability of low-burden interventions for physician burnout prevention.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALINSPIRE Life Reflection
An 8-day web-based positive psychology intervention encouraging participants to reflect on positive aspects of their daily lives. Activities include gratitude exercises, self-compassion writing, and recognizing meaningful moments.
BEHAVIORALINSPIRE Work Reflection
An 8-day web-based positive psychology intervention encouraging participants to reflect on positive aspects of their work experiences. Activities include gratitude exercises, self-compassion writing, and recognizing meaningful professional interactions.
Sponsors
University of Bern
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Masking description
Participants: Control participants are aware of the trial but do not know they are assigned to the control arm, as they are treated as part of the larger cohort and do not receive the intervention. Investigators: Investigators are masked because recruitment and assignment are automated, ensuring they do not know which participants are in the intervention or control arms. Outcome Assessors: Researchers analyzing the data remain blinded to group allocation to minimize bias in data interpretation.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
1. Be a practicing physician in Switzerland 2. Working at least 40% in a clinical capacity 3. Be willing and able to provide informed consent 4. Expecting to be professionally active until 2028
Exclusion criteria
1. Retired physician or physician seeking retirement within 3 years from first participation in the study 2. Physician unable to participate in one of the study languages: English, German, or French
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change from baseline in Emotional Exhaustion | 3 months post-intervention | Emotional Exhaustion subscale of the MBI-HSS |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Emotional Exhaustion | Baseline to 2 weeks, 1 month, 6 months, 1 year | Emotional Exhaustion subscale of the MBI-HSS |
| Change in Depersonalization | Baseline to 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year | Depersonalization subscale of the MBI-HSS |
| Change in Personal Accomplishment | Baseline to 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year | Personal accomplishment subscale of the MBI-HSS |
| Change in Physician wellbeing | Baseline to 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year | Physician Wellness Inventory (PWI) |
| Change in Job Satisfaction | Baseline to 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year | Physician Job Satisfaction Scale |
| Change in comfort with End-of-Life Communication | Baseline to 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year | Communication about End of Life Survey |
| Change in Mindfulness | Baseline to 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year | Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS-Trait) |
| Change in Compassionate Care | Baseline to 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year | Santa Clara Brief Compassion Scale |
| Change in Emotion Regulation | Baseline to 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year | Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) |
| Change in Positive and Negative Affect | Baseline to 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year | Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) |
| Change in Authenticity | Baseline to 3 months, 6 months, 1 year | Inauthenticity Scale |
| Resilience | Baseline to 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year | 2-item Connor-Davidson resilience scale |
Countries
Switzerland
Contacts
CONTACTSofia C Zambrano, PhD
CONTACTRobert Staeck, MSc
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORSofia C Zambrano, PhD
University of Bern
Outcome results
None listed