Meditation to Reduce Firefighter Distress

Phase 2

Recruiting

• Conditions: Psychological Distress
• Interventions: Behavioral: 10-day meditation intervention; Behavioral: 10-day health education intervention

• Registration Number: NCT06518616
• Lead Sponsor: University of Arizona

Brief Summary

The more than one million firefighters in the United States provide critical emergency medical services in communities they serve and are on the front lines of healthcare delivery, including in the post-pandemic world. As a result of exposure to occupational stressors, a high proportion of firefighters experience considerable stress-related burden including psychological distress (i.e., increased features of anxiety and depression). To address this need, this project will test the efficacy of a 10-day meditation intervention (i.e., 10 individual prerecorded audio units delivered by smartphone app) among career firefighters to decrease psychological distress (i.e., anxiety and depression).

Detailed Description

The goal of this study is to test the efficacy of a 10-day meditation intervention (i.e., 10 individual prerecorded audio units delivered by smartphone app) versus an active attention control (i.e., 10-day health education intervention with 10 individual prerecorded audio units delivered by smartphone app) to reduce psychological distress among N=160 career firefighters (to address possible attrition, N=192 firefighters will be consented and enrolled). The following specific aims will guide the research:

Aim 1. Examine whether firefighters' psychological distress (i.e., features of anxiety \[primary outcome\], depression) is reduced at 10 days, 30 days, and 3 months after the meditation intervention versus an active attention control. Features of anxiety, features of depression will be assessed at baseline (T1), after the 10-day intervention (T2), 30 days later (T3), and 3 months later (T4).

Aim 2: Explore the extent to which reductions in psychological distress from the meditation intervention are mediated by mindfulness and perceived social connection.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2024-07-18
• Study First Submitted QC: 2024-07-18
• Study First Posted: 2024-07-24
• Status Verified: 2024-12
• Study Start: 2024-12-03
• Last Update Submitted: 2024-12-04
• Last Update Posted: 2024-12-09
• Primary Completion: 2025-08-31
• Study Completion: 2025-08-31

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 192

Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
10-day meditation intervention	10-day meditation intervention	prerecorded meditation units, 10 units, one per day, delivered by smartphone app
10-day health education intervention	10-day health education intervention	prerecorded health education units, 10 units, one per day, delivered by smartphone app

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
anxiety features	before, immediately after, 30 days after, and 3 months after the 10-day interventions	PROMIS (Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System) Short Form Emotional Distress - Anxiety - 8a

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
depression features	before, immediately after, 30 days after, and 3 months after the 10-day interventions	PROMIS Short Form Emotional Distress - Depression - 8a

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Arizona; 🇺🇸 Tucson, Arizona, United States