The INSPIRE Study: INvestigation of Swiss Physicians Inner-life, Resilience, and Emotions

Not Applicable

Not yet recruiting

• Conditions: Burnout, Professional; Emotional Exhaustion; Emotions; Wellness, Psychological; Satisfaction, Personal

• Registration Number: NCT06806150
• Lead Sponsor: University of Bern

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.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2025-01-31
• Study First Submitted QC: 2025-01-31
• Status Verified: 2025-03
• Study First Posted: 2025-03-25
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-03-25
• Last Update Posted: 2025-03-30
• Study Start: 2025-03-31
• Primary Completion: 2025-11-30
• Study Completion: 2026-08-31

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 450

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

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change from baseline in Emotional Exhaustion	3 months post-intervention	Emotional Exhaustion subscale of the MBI-HSS

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
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)
Resilience	Baseline to 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year	2-item Connor-Davidson resilience scale
Change in Authenticity	Baseline to 3 months, 6 months, 1 year	Inauthenticity Scale

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Bern; 🇨🇭 Bern, Switzerland