Anxiety, Burnout, Depression, Self Compassion, Wellness
Conditions
Keywords
mental fitness, wellness, self compassion, burnout, app-based intervention, residents, graduate medical education, positive psychology, anxiety, depression
Brief summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if app-based wellness programs can help improve wellbeing and self-compassion for medical residents. This is a pilot study, which is done on a small group of people to learn if a larger study would be useful. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Are app-based wellness interventions feasible and acceptable in a high-stress population like medical residents? 2. Can app-based wellness programs improve wellbeing and self-compassion in medical residents? Researchers will compare the app-based wellness program to a time- and attention-matched control program. Participants will: * Complete online questionnaires at the start of the study and again after completion of the wellness program * Be assigned by chance (like a coin toss) to one of two different app-based programs, and will participate in the assigned program for 6 weeks. Both programs will involve weekly lessons and brief, daily exercises. Engagement with these exercises will not be mandatory but highly encouraged.
Interventions
OTHERApp-based bundled mental fitness intervention
A structured 6-week, self-guided program delivered via smartphone and web platform. Participants complete one video-based lesson per week and brief daily practice exercises lasting a few minutes each. The curriculum trains three core skills: recognizing recurring self-sabotaging patterns of thought and emotion; interrupting them through short attention-shifting exercises that redirect focus to present-moment sensory experience; and strengthening adaptive responses such as empathy, curiosity, perspective-taking, and decisive action. The approach draws on cognitive-behavioral, mindfulness, and positive-psychology principles, with daily repetition intended to build durable habits. Lessons build cumulatively across the six weeks. Daily and weekly engagement is encouraged but not required. Participants may optionally invite one loved one to take part alongside them.
OTHERApp-based wellness module collection
A structured 6-week comparison program delivered via smartphone and web platform, matched to the experimental arm in format, duration, and time commitment. Participants complete one lesson per week and brief daily activities of a few minutes each, mirroring the cadence of the active program. Content delivers general health and lifestyle education through didactic material and light reflective prompts. Unlike the experimental program, it does not train the targeted cognitive and emotional self-regulation skills (recognizing self-sabotaging patterns, attention-shifting practice, or deliberate cultivation of adaptive responses). This holds participant time and attention constant across arms so the trial can isolate the effect of the active components. Daily and weekly engagement is encouraged but not required.
Sponsors
Massachusetts General Hospital
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
OTHER
Masking
DOUBLE (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Current PGY4 anesthesiology resident at Massachusetts General Hospital or Brigham and Women's Hospital * Willingness to provide informed consent Resident Loved One Inclusion Criteria * The choice of a resident loved one will be at the discretion of the resident. * This may include partners, family, friends or other loved ones. * Only one individual per resident will be eligible to participate. * Residents will be eligible to participate even if no loved one is identified.
Exclusion criteria
* Inability to complete English-language questionnaires * Inability to access and use the intervention components (smartphone app/web platform) * Age \<18 years * Concurrent participation in another interventional study designed to target mental fitness or wellbeing
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Recruitment Rate | Enrollment | Percentage of eligible residents who consent to participate |
| Dyadic Enrollment Rate | Enrollment | Percentage of consenting residents who enroll a loved one |
| Retention Rate | At the end of the study, up to 12 weeks after enrollment | Percentage of enrolled participants who complete the post-study assessment |
| Adherence | End of study up to 12 weeks after enrollment | Percent completion of weekly lessons and daily exercises |
| Intervention Acceptability (Acceptability of Intervention Measure, AIM) | At the end of study up to 12 weeks after enrollment | Acceptability of the assigned program, measured with the 4-item Acceptability of Intervention Measure (AIM). Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = completely disagree to 5 = completely agree). The mean score ranges from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating greater acceptability. Administered to both arms. |
| Intervention Appropriateness (Intervention Appropriateness Measure, IAM) | At the end of study up to 12 weeks after enrollment | Perceived appropriateness and fit of the assigned program, measured with the 4-item Intervention Appropriateness Measure (IAM). Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = completely disagree to 5 = completely agree). The mean score ranges from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating greater perceived appropriateness. Administered to both arms. |
| Intervention Feasibility (Feasibility of Intervention Measure, FIM) | At the end of study up to 12 weeks after enrollment | Perceived feasibility of the assigned program, measured with the 4-item Feasibility of Intervention Measure (FIM). Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = completely disagree to 5 = completely agree). The mean score ranges from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating greater perceived feasibility. Administered to both arms. |
| Net Promoter Score (NPS) | At the end of study up to 12 weeks after enrollment | Single-item likelihood of recommending the assigned program, rated from 0 to 10. Reported as the Net Promoter Score (percentage of promoters \[9-10\] minus percentage of detractors \[0-6\]), which ranges from -100 to +100. Administered to both arms. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Self-compassion | Change from enrollment to end of study up to 12 weeks after enrollment | Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form (SCS-SF): Score is calculated by computing the mean of the six subscale means. Minimum score 1, maximum score 5. Higher scores indicate high self-compassion. |
| Burnout | Change from enrollment to end of study up to 12 weeks after enrollment | Single-item measures of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, modified from Maslach Burnout Inventory. Minimum score 0, maximum score 84. Higher scores associated with more burnout. |
| Depressive symptoms | Change from enrollment to end of study up to 12 weeks after enrollment | Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8). Minimum score 0, maximum score 24. Higher scores associated with more depressive symptoms. |
| Anxiety symptoms | Change from enrollment to end of study up to 12 weeks after enrollment | Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7). Minimum score 0, maximum score 21. Higher scores associated with more anxiety symptoms. |
Countries
United States
Contacts
CONTACTJohanna M Lee, MD
CONTACTDaniel Saddawi-Konefka, MD, MBA
Outcome results
None listed