Increasing Medical Student Well-being Through Gratitude Journaling

NCT ID: NCT03240705

Last Updated: 2023-02-01

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

53 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2017-08-31

Study Completion Date

2021-12-22

Brief Summary

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Clerkship causes significant stress to medical students. Some interventions to increase well-being have been described but none have been studied prospectively in this context.

The primary objective of this study is to examine the effects of gratitude journaling on medical clerks' perceived well-being.

Students will be randomised to one of two groups: gratitude journaling or no intervention. The participants of the experimental group will be asked to complete an online gratitude journal 3 times per week and will be compared to the participants in the control group.

The students in both groups will answer a standardised questionnaire evaluating well-being before and after their surgical rotation.

Those randomised to the intervention group will perform gratitude journaling three times a week during their surgical rotation. This activity consists of writing something that made them feel happy during their day.

Those randomised in the control group (no intervention) will proceed with their normal rotation, without additional gratitude journaling.

The main outcome will be evaluated by comparing the well-being at the end of the surgical rotation as evaluated by a composite well-being assessment scale between both groups.

Detailed Description

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Medical education involves 2 years of rotations in different medical and surgical specialties. These cause significant stress to clerks, in particular during the surgery rotation. In other professional fields, mindfulness techniques have shown only small to moderate effect on mental health compared to the control group.

An alternative approach to increasing well-being is gratitude journaling. A study examining this approach in student populations demonstrated enhanced well-being and life satisfaction.

The primary objective of this study is to examine the effects of gratitude journaling on medical clerks' perceived well-being.

Students will be randomised to one of two groups: gratitude journaling or no intervention. The participants of the experimental group will be asked to complete an online gratitude journal 3 times per week and will be compared to the participants in the control group.

The students in both groups will answer a standardised questionnaire evaluating well-being before and after their surgical rotation.

Those randomised to the intervention group will perform gratitude journaling three times a week during their surgical rotation. This activity consists of writing something that made them feel happy during their day.

Those randomised in the control group (no intervention) will proceed with their normal rotation, without additional gratitude journaling.

The main outcome will be evaluated by comparing the well-being at the end of the surgical rotation as evaluated by a composite well-being assessment scale between both groups.

Conditions

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Stress, Psychological

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

PREVENTION

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Investigators Outcome Assessors
The questionnaires will be coded as to not be able to identify study arm.

Study Groups

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Gratitude journaling

Students perform gratitude journaling 3 times per week on a form. This activity consists of writing elements of their day that brought happiness to them. Can be in keyword form or in sentences.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Gratitude journaling

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Gratitude journaling 3 times a week during surgical rotation

No intervention

Students proceed with their surgical clerkship as is standard in our institution.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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Gratitude journaling

Gratitude journaling 3 times a week during surgical rotation

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Medical students at the University of Montreal about to begin their surgical clerkship rotation.

Exclusion Criteria

\-
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM)

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Erica Patocskai, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM)

Locations

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Faculté de Médecine de l'Université de Montréal

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Site Status

Countries

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Canada

References

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van Dijk I, Lucassen PLBJ, Akkermans RP, van Engelen BGM, van Weel C, Speckens AEM. Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on the Mental Health of Clinical Clerkship Students: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial. Acad Med. 2017 Jul;92(7):1012-1021. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000001546.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28121650 (View on PubMed)

Pettitt BJ. Medical student concerns and fears before their third-year surgical clerkship. Am J Surg. 2005 Apr;189(4):492-6. doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2004.09.017.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 15820468 (View on PubMed)

Cohen S, Kamarck T, Mermelstein R. A global measure of perceived stress. J Health Soc Behav. 1983 Dec;24(4):385-96. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 6668417 (View on PubMed)

Diener E, Emmons RA, Larsen RJ, Griffin S. The Satisfaction With Life Scale. J Pers Assess. 1985 Feb;49(1):71-5. doi: 10.1207/s15327752jpa4901_13.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 16367493 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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16.413

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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