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Completed

NCT Number: NCT03240705

Increasing Medical Student Well-being Through Gratitude Journaling

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.

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Key information

Conditions

Stress, Psychological Behavior Behavioral Symptoms

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Faculté de Médecine de l'Université de Montréal

Montreal, Quebec, H3T 1J4, Canada

About this study

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.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

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

Exclusion criteria

-

Treatment and study plan

Gratitude Journaling

Behavioral

Gratitude journaling 3 times a week during surgical rotation

Primary outcomes

  1. Well-being

    Time frame: 6 weeks after enrollment

    Medical student well-being at the end of their surgical rotation. Measured by Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen, 1983)

  2. Well-being

    Time frame: 6 weeks after enrollment

    Medical student well-being at the end of their surgical rotation. Measured by Satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener, 1985)

Secondary outcomes

  1. Well-being before and after comparison

    Time frame: 6 weeks after enrollment in study

    Before and after comparison of well-being by comparing initial and post-intervention questionnaires (Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen, 1983))

  2. Compliance with gratitude journaling

    Time frame: 6 weeks after enrollment in study

    Proportion of empty entries in the student's gratitude journal

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM)

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Randomised Controlled Trial of Gratitude Reporting vs no Intervention on Well-being of Medical Students During Clerkship

Important dates

Study start
2017
Primary completion
2021
Study completion
2021
First posted
Aug 7, 2017
Registry last updated
Feb 1, 2023

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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