Stress clinical trials at University of California Health
7 in progress, 6 open to eligible people
Mindfulness-Based Intervention to Reduce Stress Through the Cultivation of Loving-Kindness, Compassion, Joy, and Equanimity in Healthcare Professionals
open to eligible people ages 18 years and up
Nearly 50% of the adult workforce experience adverse psychological symptoms (e.g., stress, depression, burnout, etc.) stemming from workplace stressors, with healthcare workers experiencing rates as high as 80%. Some common complaints and downstream consequences of working in high-stress healthcare occupations are elevated levels of perceived stress, depression, and burnout. These conditions have been associated with unfavorable occupational (e.g., increased medical errors), patient (e.g., increased mortality rates), and provider-related outcomes (e.g., increased rates of cardiovascular disease), imposing a heavy burden on an already stretched system. Given the impact of perceived stress, depression, and burnout on employee and patient health, a clear need exists to develop effective interventions to reduce distress and promote well-being among healthcare professionals. In particular, interventions that target processes particularly vulnerable to provider stress (e.g., compassion) are needed. The present study will evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of a mindfulness-based intervention inspired by the Buddhist Four Immeasurables practice on reducing perceived stress (primary outcome), depressive symptoms, burnout, and biological markers of inflammation, and enhancing psychological well-being and sleep quality (secondary outcomes) in 80 healthcare workers. Additionally, we will investigate several mediators (compassion, positive emotions, equanimity, and mindfulness) of intervention effects. Participants will be healthcare employees of UCLA Health. They will be enrolled in a six-week, two-arm randomized controlled trial. Participants will complete self-report questionnaires at baseline, mid-course, and post-intervention to assess study outcomes and mediators. We aim to advance the study of interventions that reduce distress and promote well-being using practices that cultivate kind feelings toward oneself and others.
at UCLA
Biofield Therapy for the Support of Immunotherapy-related Symptoms Among Adult Cancer Patients - A Pilot Study
open to eligible people ages 18 years and up
Cancer treatment with immunotherapy is often associated with symptoms such as fatigue, pain, and emotional distress, which may affect patients' daily functioning and quality of life. Additional supportive care approaches are being studied to better understand their potential role in supporting these symptoms. The purpose of this study is to learn whether a biofield therapy, called Reiki may help to support adults with cancer who are receiving immunotherapy and currently struggling with fatigue. Reiki is a non-invasive complementary therapy delivered by a trained practitioner who places their hands lightly near the body. It is intended to promote relaxation and support general well-being. Reiki is used as a supportive practice and is not considered a medical treatment or replacement for standard care. The secondary goal of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of delivering Reiki in this clinical setting. This includes examining recruitment, retention, adherence to study procedures, and overall participant engagement. Lastly, the third aim is to explore participants' experiences with Reiki through guided interviews. Participants enrolled in this study will first be asked to participate in a one-hour, one-on-one interview about their experiences with cancer treatment, their symptoms, and their thoughts about integrative care practices such as Reiki. After the interview, they will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: Immediate Reiki Group: If participants are assigned to this group, they will receive six weekly, in-person 30-minute Usui Reiki sessions from a Reiki master at the Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute. Before and after each session, participants will complete questionnaires about fatigue, pain, and stress. At the first and final sessions, a small blood sample will be collected to measure inflammatory biomarkers, and Electroencephalogram (EEG) hyperscanning will be conducted to measure brain activity and connectivity between the participant and the practitioner. Four weeks after the final session, they will complete the questionnaires again, followed by a short satisfaction survey about their experience. Waitlist Group: If they are assigned to the waitlist group, they will first complete a 6-week observation period that includes brief weekly fatigue questionnaires and two in-person 30-minute sessions with EEG measurements at Week 1 and Week 6. This will be followed by a 4-week period with no sessions, after which they will complete questionnaires about fatigue, pain, and psychological distress. Participants will then begin the same six weekly, in-person 30-minute sessions described above. As with the Immediate Group, they will complete questionnaires before and after each session. At the first and final sessions, a small blood sample will be collected and EEG hyperscanning will be conducted. At the end of the study, participants will also complete a short satisfaction survey about their experience. The investigators hypothesize that participants receiving Reiki will report improvements in symptoms and well-being compared to those not yet receiving Reiki, and that the intervention will be feasible to implement and acceptable to participants.
at UC Irvine
Biological and Behavioral Outcomes of Community Nature Walks
open to eligible people ages 18 years and up
The investigators will test the efficacy of our proposed intervention to reduce embodied stress in four racial/ethnic groups (Black, Latinx, Pilipinx, and Pacific Islander) as a preventative intervention for health disparities found in these communities. The intervention is comprised of two phases. The first consists of community nature walks in a pristine redwood forest for six months. This is followed by chosen nature activities with family and/or friends for three months. The investigators will test the ability of these activities in nature to reduce chronic stress that underpins many health disparities using validated biological, behavioral, and sociocultural measures. The use of these measures is in alignment with the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) Research Framework, and will increase understanding of individual, interpersonal, community, and social level factors that lead to, and that can eliminate health disparities.
at UCSF
Cognitive Control Training for Extinction in PTSD
open to eligible people ages 18-65
The proposed study will test whether a working memory training (WMT) program improves fear extinction learning and its underlying neural circuitry in Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). WMT is designed to improves the ability to maintain task-relevant information in mind. The project will further validate the relationship between working memory and fear extinction using novel computational and multivariate analyses that link to specific PTSD symptoms. If WMT can enhance fear extinction learning, then WMT may be a powerful adjunctive treatment that can enhance exposure therapy outcomes or be leveraged as a stand-alone treatment. This project supports the Department of Veteran Affairs mission of developing viable targets of treatment for Veterans with PTSD.
at UCSD
Parenting Stress mHealth
open to eligible people ages 12 years and up
Parenting stress is a well-documented barrier to youth engagement in community-based substance use treatment. The current project aims to develop and evaluate a mobile health parenting stress intervention for caregivers of justice-involved youth, a population with high rates of substance use and low rates of treatment engagement.
at UCSF
Brief Nature Exposure on Brain Functioning and Stress Reactivity
open to eligible people ages 18-25
This study is focused on understanding the impact of time spent in nature (relative to an urban control) on stress, neural, and cardiac functioning in people experiencing high levels of stress, depression, and anxiety.
at UCSF
Resources, Inspiration, Support and Empowerment (RISE) for Black Pregnant Women
Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients
Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) encompass a range of mental health disorders that occur during pregnancy and up to one year postpartum. Approximately 13% of women experience PMADs. This rate doubles for those with adverse perinatal outcomes (APO) and triples in Black women. Recent research points to racism as one significant source of these health disparities. Cultural adaptations to improve communication with providers decrease rates of depression in minority patients as well as improve adherence to treatment, insight and alliance. Discrimination stress and worries about experiencing medical consequences are thought to increase systemic inflammation, a mechanism known to drive mental and physical symptoms. Inflammation has been implicated in both PMADs and APO, suggesting a shared underlying etiology. Evidence from our work suggests that inflammation contributes to the pathophysiology of PMADs. The proposed pilot randomized control trial will allow the investigators to build on promising preliminary results and identify whether our culturally relevant mobile Health (mHealth) intervention is effective in improving outcomes among Black pregnant women randomized to the intervention compared to a control group. The culturally relevant modules include building communication and self-advocacy skills and provide a support network. The primary objective of this research is to provide guidance for clinical care of Black women during the perinatal period, with the goal to improve mental health and physical health outcomes. A secondary goal is to examine novel inflammatory signatures that change as a function of the intervention to reduce PMADs in this population. As inflammation may be diagnostic of PMADs, identification of its role may shed light of potential intervention targets and provide critical knowledge to improve women's long-term health. PMAD symptoms will be assessed prospectively in 150 Black pregnant women, half of whom will be randomized to receive the culturally relevant mHealth intervention. The investigators hypothesize that women in the intervention group will have reduced rates of PMADs and APOs, an increase in adherence to mental health treatment and will report increased self-advocacy skills, increased communication with providers, and reduced levels of discrimination related stress. Participants will also have improved biological risk indicators including lower circulating C-reactive protein and a transcription profile of differentially expressed inflammatory genes, marked by a decreased activity of inflammatory transcription factors from blood spots. Given the high burden of both PMADs and APOs among Black mothers and the numerous consequences on maternal and child outcomes, it is imperative that investigators develop and implement effective interventions, and test the biological mechanisms that might drive these effects. This work is interdisciplinary, building on a network of community advocates to implement a novel mHealth intervention informed by real world experiences designed to enhance self-advocacy, reduce stress and prevent adverse outcomes
at UCLA
Our lead scientists for Stress research studies include Johanna B Folk, PhD Daniel M Stout, PhD Susanna Fryer, PhD Alexandre Chan.
Last updated: