Creative Arts Program to Reduce Burnout in Healthcare Professionals

Conditions studied

Burn-Out Syndrome, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Depression, Anxiety

About this study

This study plans to learn if creative arts programs that include visual, musical, written, or physical expression can reduce symptoms of burnout syndrome, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety in critical care healthcare professionals. This study also explores if creative arts can enhance the connection to the purpose of work, the development of adequate coping skills, while providing time to connect with peers.

Interventions

• Behavioral: Visual Arts — Subjects meet for 90 minutes, once weekly, over 12 weeks for guided drawing/sketching sessions. The 12 sessions will follow a standard sequence that addresses three primary themes: creating safety, inviting vulnerability, and integrating into a transformative community. Surveys, activity diary cards will be completed at baseline, weekly and at intervention completion to assess satisfaction, stress, and well-being. Qualitative focus groups will occur after the intervention to assess acceptability of intervention, outcomes assessments, program development and implementation.
• Behavioral: Music — Subjects meet for 90 minutes, once weekly, over 12 weeks, for guided music-listening exercises (such as lyric analysis, patient-chosen, music for relaxation and/or visualization) and active music making. The 12 sessions follow a standard sequence, addressing three primary themes: creating safety, inviting vulnerability, and integrating into a transformative community. Surveys, activity diary cards are completed at baseline, weekly and at completion to assess satisfaction, stress, and well-being. Qualitative focus groups, after the intervention, assess acceptability of intervention, outcomes, program development and implementation.
• Behavioral: Dance/Movement — Subjects will meet once weekly, and begin with a movement check-in, a gentle physical warm-up, and then either a structured or improvisational movement process. for a total of 12 weeks. Each session will last 90 minutes. The 12 sessions will follow a standard sequence that addresses three primary themes: creating safety, inviting vulnerability, and integrating into a transformative community. Surveys, activity diary cards will be completed at baseline, weekly and at intervention completion to assess satisfaction, stress, and well-being. Qualitative focus groups will occur after the intervention to assess acceptability of intervention, outcomes assessments, program development and implementation.
• Behavioral: Writing/Poetry — Subjects will meet once weekly, for writing workshops to encourage participants to tell the stories they need to tell, using integral elements of good writing, for a total of 12 weeks. Each session will last 90 minutes. The 12 sessions will follow a standard sequence that addresses three primary themes: creating safety, inviting vulnerability, and integrating into a transformative community. Surveys, activity diary cards will be completed at baseline, weekly and at intervention completion to assess satisfaction, stress, and well-being. Qualitative focus groups will occur after the intervention to assess acceptability of intervention, outcomes assessments, program development and implementation.
• Behavioral: Control — Control Group will only complete surveys at baseline and 12 weeks later.

Primary outcomes

• Acceptability/Satisfaction of Intervention as assessed by Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-8) scores to yield a homogeneous estimate of general satisfaction. (At the end of 12 week intervention)

Eligibility information

Study locations

• University of Colorado - Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045 United States