The goal of this study is to learn if a meditation intervention called Transcendental Meditation or TM can be used in a small department at Weill Cornell Medicine to help reduce employees' levels of burnout, anxiety, insomnia, and depression as well as to determine the feasibility and acceptability of the meditation practice by Weill Cornell employees. The main question the study aims to answer is whether:
• Levels of burnout, anxiety, insomnia, and depression will be decreased, and overall mental well-being will improve over a 3.5-month period before and after TM intervention.
Participants will attend 9 sessions total (8 group sessions and 1 individual session) with a certified TM instructor from The David Lynch Foundation Institute for Mental Health and Resilience where they will gain experience in proper TM techniques. Also, participants will conduct 2 of their own TM sessions at home daily during the course of this study.
Be 18 years of age or older
Be a full-time employee at Weill Cornell Medicine or NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.
Agree to complete the entire TM training program of eight sessions and practice the TM technique twice daily for approximately 20 minutes.
Agree to complete a battery of self-report baseline and post-test surveys online (1-month and 3-months post baseline).
Are younger than 18 years of age.
Are already instructed in the Transcendental Meditation technique.
Are not a full-time employee at Weill Cornell Medical College or NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.
Are unwilling to complete the entire TM training program of eight sessions and practice the TM technique twice daily for approximately 20 minutes.
Single group
Transcendental Meditation
BehavioralParticipants will undergo a TM training program of nine sessions and practice the TM technique twice daily for approximately 20 minutes.The TM training program will include a total of 9 sessions conducted by experienced certified TM instructors: an introductory session (Session 0, described above), core instruction consisting of 4 sessions taught on 4 consecutive days (Sessions 1-4, 60-75 minutes each), followed by 4 follow-up sessions offered at intervals over the following 3 months (Sessions 5-8, 45 minutes each). All 9 sessions will be completed within 3.5 months from the time of the first session.
Adherence to home practice of TM (1 month from baseline)
Adherence to home TM practice will be assessed at 1 month post TM instruction, using a self-report form. Adherence to home TM practice will be the number of participants who responded that they did at least one home TM practice session per day on average out of all study participants. The self report survey asks participants over the past week and month how often they have done TM at home with three choices: 1) Twice a day, 2) Once a Day, and 3) Rarely or not at all. "Adherence" to home TM practice will be defined as at least one home TM practice session per day on average on this survey.
Adherence to home practice of TM (3 months from baseline)
Adherence to home TM practice will be assessed at 3 month post TM instruction, using a self-report form. Adherence to home TM practice will be the number of participants who responded that they did at least one home TM practice session per day on average out of all study participants. The self report survey asks participants over the past week and month how often they have done TM at home with three choices: 1) Twice a day, 2) Once a Day, and 3) Rarely or not at all. "Adherence" to home TM practice will be defined as at least one home TM practice session per day on average on this survey.
Percentage of participants who attend 6 of the 8 training sessions over the course of the 3-month study
Attendance at TM training sessions (feasibility) will be quantified as a binary outcome (either yes or no) based on whether at least 80% of the participants attend 6 of the 8 training sessions over the course of the 3 month study.
Change in Level of Anxiety from Baseline to 1 month
Anxiety symptoms will be evaluated between baseline and 1 month with the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) which is a brief 7-item anxiety questionnaire. The survey has 7 question prompts evaluating anxiety symptoms over the past 2 weeks and ranges from the lowest score of 0 to highest total score of 21. The highest score indicates severe anxiety while the lowest score indicates minimal anxiety.
Change Mental Well-Being from Baseline to 1 month
Change in mental well-being between baseline and 1 month will measured by the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale which is a 14 item survey assessing feelings and thoughts regarding well-being over the past 2 weeks. The scores range from a low of 14 indicating very poor well being to a high of 70 indicating very good well being.
Change in Mental Well Being from Baseline to 3 Months
Change in mental well-being between baseline and 3 months will measured by the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale which is a 14 item survey assessing feelings and thoughts regarding well-being over the past 2 weeks. The scores range from a low of 14 indicating very poor well being to a high of 70 indicating very good well being.
Change in Resilience Score from Baseline to 1 Month
Resilience scores will be measured by the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) at Baseline and 1 month and the change in scores calclulated. The BRS is a 6 item survey with scores ranging from a low of 6 to a high of 30. 6 indicates very low resilience and 30 superior resilience
Change in Resilience Score from Baseline to 3 Months
Resilience scores will be measured by the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) at Baseline and 3 months and the change in scores calclulated. The BRS is a 6 item survey with scores ranging from a low of 6 to a high of 30. 6 indicates very low resilience and 30 superior resilience
Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.
Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Lead sponsor
Institute for Mental Health and Resilience of the David Lynch Foundation
Collaborator
This trial is not recruiting at the moment. You can still explore other options:
