Mindfulness program using loving‑kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity for healthcare professionals
Official title: Project FIERCE - Fostering Internal and External Respect, Compassion, and Equanimity: A Mindfulness-Based Intervention to Reduce Stress Through the Cultivation of Loving-Kindness, Compassion, Joy, and Equanimity in Healthcare Professionals
Run by University of California, Los Angeles · NCT07283744 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program will test whether a six-week online mindfulness course teaching loving‑kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity can reduce stress in full‑time physicians.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 80 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University of California, Los Angeles Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Los Angeles, California) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | October 10, 2025 |
| Main results expected | January 2027 |
| Study ends | January 2027 |
| Registry record updated | December 16, 2025 |
| Trial ID | NCT07283744 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are full‑time physicians (M.D. or D.O.), age 18 or older, fluent in English, able to attend the six weekly daytime Zoom sessions, and who report at least mild perceived stress without a current, regular meditation practice.
✕Probably not a fit
People who are already maintaining a consistent meditation practice, who have very low baseline stress, who regularly use tobacco, or who cannot attend the scheduled live sessions are unlikely to benefit from this intervention.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This single-site, two-arm, parallel-group randomized trial compares a six-week, manualized online meditation program called Building Emotional Strength Training (BEST) to a waitlist control for full‑time physicians. The intervention is delivered live via Zoom once weekly during the workday by an experienced meditation instructor in group format. Participants are screened for at least mild perceived stress (PSS‑4) and excluded if they have a regular meditation practice or use tobacco regularly. Outcomes focus on changes in perceived stress and related psychosocial and inflammatory measures over the intervention period.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could reduce perceived stress and burnout among participating physicians and potentially improve provider well‑being and patient care quality.
How similar studies have gone: Previous mindfulness and compassion‑based programs for healthcare workers have shown modest to moderate reductions in stress and burnout, though loving‑kindness–focused interventions are less extensively tested.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: 1) full-time physician (M.D. or D.O.), 2) at least 18 years of age, 3) able to attend the six-week intervention, 4) fluent in English, and 5) access to the internet and email. Exclusion Criteria. 1) having a current and consistent meditation practice (i.e., engaging in a formal meditation practice at least three days per week for five minutes each day), 2) previous participation in a Four Immeasurable course (e.g., attending a Brahmaviharas meditation retreat), 3) absence of at least mild levels of perceived stress as determined by a score less than five on the four-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4; 92), 4) regular tobacco use (given its impact on immune function; 90), and 5) failure to agree to the informed consent. The presence or absence of perceived stress will be assessed using the PSS-4 during the initial phone screening.
Where it's running
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University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Julienne E Bower, Ph.D. — University of California, Los Angeles, Psychology Department
- Study coordinator: J Richard T Korecki, M.A.
- Email: tkorecki@g.ucla.edu
- Phone: 17204950812
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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.