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Beltrán-Ruiz M, Fernández S, García-Campayo J, Puebla-Guedea M, López-del-Hoyo Y, Navarro-Gil M, Montero-Marin J. Effectiveness of attachment-based compassion therapy to reduce psychological distress in university students: a randomised controlled trial protocol. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1185445. [PMID: 37691796 PMCID: PMC10484595 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1185445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Higher education, particularly university, is a challenge for many students that can lead to their mental health being seriously affected. The stress to which they are subject throughout their time at university can lead to anxiety and depression. "Third wave" psychotherapies, including compassion-based therapy, have been used to improve psychological outcomes, such as stress, anxiety, emotional distress and well-being. There are some signs that third wave psychotherapies reduce psychological distress in university students, but more and higher-quality studies are needed. In this randomised controlled trial (RCT), we hypothesise that the provision of attachment-based compassion therapy (ABCT) will be more effective than an active control group based on relaxation therapy for improving psychological distress in university students. Methods and analysis A two-arm RCT will be conducted involving 140 university undergraduate and postgraduate students from the University of Zaragoza and the National University of Distance Education (UNED) who reside in the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. Interventions with either ABCT or relaxation therapy will be implemented, with an allocation ratio of 1:1 between groups. Both interventions will last six weeks and consist of six weekly group sessions lasting 1.5 h each. Data will be collected before and after the intervention, and there will be a follow-up at six months. The primary outcome will be psychological distress at post-intervention. Secondary outcomes will be depression, anxiety, stress and burnout symptoms, affectivity and emotional regulation. Attachment style, experiential avoidance, compassion (for others/oneself) and mindfulness skills will be measured as potential mechanistic variables. Intention-to-treat analysis will be performed using linear mixed regression models. The clinical significance of improvements will be calculated. Potential side effects will be monitored by an independent clinical psychologist. Ethics and dissemination This study was approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of Aragón. Participant data will remain anonymous, and results will be submitted to peer-reviewed open-access journals and disseminated via conferences. Clinical Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT05197595.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Beltrán-Ruiz
- Department of Psychology and Sociology, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
- Research Network on Chronicity, Primary Care and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Selene Fernández
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Javier García-Campayo
- Research Network on Chronicity, Primary Care and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Zaragoza, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
- Aragonese Institute of Health Research, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Marta Puebla-Guedea
- Department of Psychology and Sociology, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
- Research Network on Chronicity, Primary Care and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Yolanda López-del-Hoyo
- Department of Psychology and Sociology, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
- Research Network on Chronicity, Primary Care and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Zaragoza, Spain
- Aragonese Institute of Health Research, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Mayte Navarro-Gil
- Department of Psychology and Sociology, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
- Research Network on Chronicity, Primary Care and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Jesus Montero-Marin
- Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Teaching, Research & Innovation Unit, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain
- Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology & Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
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Server A, Suso-Ribera C, Pérez-Carrasco M, Medel J, Mesas Á, Ayora A, Gracia RM. Feasibility of a brief mindfulness-based program for burnout in pain healthcare professionals. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1009266. [DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1009266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
IntroductionStress inherent to health care, which is characterized by work overload and shortage of specialized staff, is associated with decreased quality of life and suboptimal patient care. Mindfulness-based programs have proved to be effective in reducing stress in healthcare providers. This study aims to assess the feasibility of an 8-week mindfulness program to reduce the burnout levels of the staff of a pain clinic in a tertiary public hospital.Materials and methodsA longitudinal study with a within subject pre/post-intervention design, consisting of daily face-to-face 10-min sessions and the creation of a virtual group using a social media platform. Variables measured: burnout, mindfulness, empathy, self-compassion, and demographic characteristics.ResultsProgram feasibility (i.e., reach, adherence, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness) was evaluated in 10 participants (6 physicians, 2 nurse practitioners, 1 nursing assistant, and 1 administrative). The results revealed a high reach (i.e., participation rate of 90%), excellent adherence to the program (daily practice 95% of times), and very good acceptability of the group format and satisfaction with most treatment components. Regarding potential effectiveness, we report the results of the Wilcoxon signed-rank tests and its associated effect size (r). We observed improvements in mindfulness and all its subscales (−2.077 ≤ Z ≤ −2.703, 0.69 ≤ r ≤ 0.90, all p < 0.05) except for non-reactivity and all subcomponents of self-compassion (−2.501 ≤ Z ≤ −2.611, 0.83 ≤ r ≤ 0.87, all p < 0.05) but not on its global self-compassion score. Empathy and burnout did not change. In an exploratory manner, however, we found significant reductions in the burnout component of emotional exhaustion, but only in physicians (Z = −2.201, p = 0.028, r = 0.73).DiscussionWe believe that the 8-week mindfulness-based program described in the present investigation might be a feasible and potentially effective method that can be easily implemented to reduce burnout and promote mindfulness in specialized pain clinics.
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