The Effectiveness of Guided Imagery for a Nonprofit's Employees

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Stress; Focus of Study
• Interventions: Behavioral: Guided Imagery

• Registration Number: NCT02191345
• Lead Sponsor: FrontLine Service

Brief Summary

Primary Aim A. To determine if listening to prerecorded guided imagery 3 times per week for 4 weeks will reduce state anxiety, perceived stress, burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma in Fronltine Service staff.

Primary Aim B. To determine if staff will continue to listen to guided imagery after the first 4 weeks of the study is over.

Detailed Description

The purpose of this study is to compare the change in stress levels of employees who listen to prerecorded guided imagery to employees who take breaks, and to determine if employees are likely to adopt prerecorded guided imagery as a self-care tool.

Participants will be randomly assigned to either the guided imagery group or the control group. Members of the control group will be asked to take a 10 minute break 3 times per week for 4 weeks. Members of the guided imagery group will be asked to listen to one prerecorded guided imagery track 3 times per week for 4 weeks. All participants will fill out questionnaires before and after the 4 week period. All participants will fill out a short form before and after listening to each guided imagery, or before and after taking each break.

Phase 2: After phase 1 is complete, all participants will have the option to participate in phase 2 of the study. During phase 2, participants will receive a calendar and put a mark on every day that they listen to a guided imagery track. At the end of 4 weeks, participants will turn in the calendar.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2014-07
• Study First Submitted: 2014-07-14
• Study First Submitted QC: 2014-07-15
• Study First Posted: 2014-07-16
• Primary Completion: 2014-11
• Study Completion: 2014-11
• Status Verified: 2017-02
• Last Update Submitted: 2017-02-18
• Last Update Posted: 2017-02-23

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 69

Inclusion Criteria

• Staff of a nonprofit who work a minimum of three shifts per week
• Willing and able to use about 8-15 minutes of their lunch hours three times per week for for four weeks for the study

Exclusion Criteria

• Staff members will be excluded from the study if they currently listen to guided imagery
• Those currently experiencing drug or alcohol abuse, suicidal ideation, or other serious mental health issue while not under the care of a trained mental health professional will also be excluded

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Guided Imagery	Guided Imagery	Participants listen to one of 6 pre-recorded guided imagery tracks 3 times per week for 4 weeks

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
State Anxiety as Measured by the State Anxiety Short Form	4 weeks	Participants in the experimental group will fill out the State Anxiety Short Form, a 6-item questionnaire before and after listening to guided imagery. Participants in the control group will fill out the same measure before and after taking a break.; This will be done 3 times per week for a duration of 4 weeks.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Perceived Stress as measured by the Perceived Stress Scale	4 weeks	Participants in the experimental and control groups will complete the Perceived Stress Scale, a self-report, 10-item questionnaire, before and after the 4-week intervention period.
Compassion Fatigue, Compassion Satisfaction, and Burnout, as measured by the ProQol	4 weeks	Participants in both the control and experimental groups will complete the ProQol, a 30-item questionnaire, before and after the 4-week intervention period.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

FrontLine Service; 🇺🇸 Cleveland, Ohio, United States