Development and Validation of an Evidence-Based, Self-Guided, Single Session Digital Intervention to Prevent Workplace Burnout & Enhance Psychological Wellness
Development and Validation of an Evidence-Based, Self-Guided, Single Session Digital Intervention to Prevent Workplace Burnout & Enhance Psychological Wellness
This study develops and evaluates a self-guided digital single-session mental health intervention designed to reduce workplace burnout and enhance psychological well-being among employed Canadian adults. Workplace burnout, characterized by emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced professional efficacy, affects approximately 40% of Canadian employees and leads to increased absenteeism, reduced productivity, and higher disability claims. Traditional mental health supports face barriers including long wait times, stigma, and accessibility issues. Single-Session Interventions (SSIs) offer a practical, cost-effective, and scalable complement to traditional services.
This is a randomized, double-arm, online trial. Participants are recruited via Prolific and randomly assigned (1:1) to either the experimental single-session burnout intervention or an active control condition focused on creative writing. The intervention focuses on its unique delivery of content focused on the evidence-based techniques, such as cognitive reframing, stress management, and behavioural strategies. The active control matches the intervention in length, structure, and user experience but omits the specific therapeutic ingredients.
All procedures are conducted entirely online through Qualtrics. Participants are compensated for their participation. Participants complete three sessions over approximately 30 days:
A baseline survey (about 10 minutes); A program session and immediate follow-up (about 40 minutes); And a 30-day follow-up survey (about 10 minutes).
Outcome measures include burnout (MBI-16), perceived stress (PSS-10), depressive symptoms (PHQ-8), anxiety (GAD-7), general health (GHQ-12), well-being (WHO-5), work engagement (UWES-3), readiness to change, perceived impact, and program feedback/acceptability. Main outcomes are examined using mixed-effects linear regression with a participant-level random intercept to test the group × time interaction across baseline, post-intervention, and follow-up.
This study is a randomized, double-arm, online clinical trial evaluating a self-guided, single-session digital intervention for burnout in employed adults. The research is conducted as part of a Ph.D. dissertation of Ehsan Etezad, PhD Candidate in Applied Organizational Psychology at Saint Mary's University under the supervision of Dr. John Fiset (faculty member at Saint Mary's University), with co-investigator Dr. Raghid Al-Hajj (Gulf University for Science and Technology, Kuwait).
The intervention was developed based on a comprehensive systematic review (Phase 1 of the dissertation) that screened 2,349 records and included 27 final studies examining self-guided digital mental health interventions. The design and content of the current intervention are grounded in the best practices identified through that systematic review.
Participants are recruited through Prolific, a third-party online survey panel designed for academic research. The research team posts a study listing that includes a brief description, estimated completion time, compensation, and general eligibility requirements. All recruitment occurs through the Prolific platform with no direct contact between investigators and potential participants.
Eligible participants are presented with an electronic informed consent form describing study procedures, expected time commitment, risks and benefits, confidentiality, voluntary participation, and contact information for the study team and local crisis resources. Consented participants complete a baseline assessment comprising demographic questions and validated outcome measures.
After baseline assessment, participants are randomized (1:1) to the experimental intervention or the active control. Allocation is concealed from participants until they begin their assigned module. The active control condition matches the intervention arm in length, structure, and user experience while intentionally omitting the specific therapeutic ingredients. The active control focuses on creative writing and is non-therapeutic, ensuring that any observed effects can be attributed to the intervention's active components rather than general factors such as time spent, format, attention, or digital engagement. After completing the T3 follow-up survey, all participants in the active control group receive access to the full intervention to ensure equitable access to the intervention's potential benefits.
Data collection occurs at three time points: T1 (baseline), T2 (immediately post-intervention), and T3 (30-day follow-up). The full outcome battery is completed at baseline and immediately post-intervention; follow-up assessments repeat all primary and secondary outcomes to evaluate maintenance of intervention effects.
The main outcomes (burnout, stress, depression, anxiety, wellness, engagement) are examined using mixed-effects linear regression with a participant-level random intercept to test the group × time interaction across baseline, post-intervention, and follow-up. The main comparison focuses on the change from baseline to immediate post-intervention between the two study arms.
Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
ehsan@ehsanetezad.com902-420-5400