Mobile Mindfulness Intervention to Reduce Emotional Distress and Burnout in Frontline Healthcare Workers: The LIFT-HCW Pilot RCT

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to extremely high levels of emotional distress and burnout amongst frontline healthcare workers. Rapidly deployable and scalable interventions are desperately needed to help combat the burgeoning mental health crisis among frontline healthcare works. Methods: We designed a prospective, randomized, waitlist-controlled pilot study assessing the impact of a mobile mindfulness app (LIFT) among nurses working in COVID-19 units. Participants were randomized in a 2:1 fashion to receive access to mobile mindfulness content (intervention) or to a waitlist to receive access to mobile mindfulness content outside the study period (control). All patients completed a survey that includes the Patient Health Questionairre-9 (PHQ-9), The General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), the Perceived Stress Scale-4 (PSS-4), and the Maslach Burnout Index (MBI) at baseline (T1) and at the end of the study period (28 days after enrollment, T2). Primary outcomes are feasibility as assessed by the number of participants completing all 4 weeks of mindfulness therapy as well as the total number of daily mindfulness sessions completed. Secondary outcomes included change in PHQ-9, GAD-7, PSS-4, and MBI scores from T1 to T2. Results: Enrollment began in May of 2021. To date 82 participants have been enrolled and randomized, 56 to intervention and 24 to waitlist, with a target enrollment of 100. Median PHQ-9 scores in each group were 8 (IQR 6-11.25) and 7 (IQR 5-10) indicating moderate amounts of emotional distress in each group. Enrollment and follow-up are ongoing, with enrollment planned to be completed in December 2021. Conclusions: We have successfully enrolled 82 participants in an ongoing randomized, waitlist-controlled trial testing the clinical impact of a mobile mindfulness intervention on emotional distress and burnout in frontline healthcare workers. Final results will be presented at ATS International Meeting.