Four-week Compassionate Mind Training for healthcare staff
Official title: A Pilot Randomised Control Trial Examining the Effectiveness of an Online Compassionate Mind Training for Healthcare Staff
Run by Queen's University, Belfast · NCT07411183 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will test whether a four-week online Compassionate Mind Training program helps NHS staff using Occupational Health feel less stressed and more self-compassionate than usual counselling.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years to 68 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 60 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Queen's University, Belfast Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Belfast) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | October 13, 2025 |
| Main results expected | September 2026 |
| Study ends | September 2026 |
| Registry record updated | February 13, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07411183 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are NHS staff aged 18+ who are accessing Occupational Health in the Belfast trust, have basic English and internet access, and are not currently in another active psychological therapy.
✕Probably not a fit
People with severe psychological distress (CORE-10 ≥25), suspected serious mental illness, active addiction, or those already receiving active psychological treatment are unlikely to benefit from this low-intensity intervention.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This is a small randomized pilot comparing a four-week online Compassionate Mind Training (CMT) program with treatment-as-usual (Staffcare counselling) for healthcare staff attending Occupational Health in the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust. Participants are randomly assigned to the CMT group, which completes weekly 30-minute videos plus audio exercises and reading on the Balanced Minds platform, or to the usual-care group, which is referred to six weekly counselling sessions via the Employee Assistance Programme. Questionnaires are collected at baseline, mid-intervention, post-intervention and four-week follow-up to measure psychological distress, self-compassion, and wellbeing. The study excludes people in active psychological treatments, those with suspected serious mental illness or active addiction, and those scoring in the severe range on the CORE-10.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the online CMT could give staff a brief, accessible way to reduce stress and increase self-compassion without waiting for longer counselling services.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research on compassion-focused and self-compassion interventions has shown promise for reducing stress and burnout in healthcare workers, but online CMT delivered as a brief, four-week program in this exact setting remains relatively novel.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Healthcare staff attending the occupational health service for psychological assessment in the BHSCT * Over the age of 18 * Good level of English to access and complete the intervention and TAU * Internet access on a suitable device to access the intervention and/or questionnaires * Individuals who are off on sickness absence will be eligible to participate. Exclusion Criteria: * Individuals who are engaging in alternative active psychological intervention * Individuals identified as being in active addiction or experiencing Serious Mental Illness, or if this is suspected by the staff member assessing the participant * A CORE-10 score of 25 and above indicating severe psychological distress will also act as exclusion criteria as the intervention has shown to be most beneficial as a low intensity treatment option
Where it's running
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Queens University Belfast
Belfast, United Kingdom Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Marylouise Mc Closkey
- Email: mmccloskey29@qub.ac.uk
- Phone: 07546774029
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.