Recruiting

Wellbeing Intervention

Sponsor:

University of Wisconsin, Madison

Code:

NCT05826860

Conditions

Depression

Anxiety

Burnout, Student

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

Mindfulness Practice

Storytelling Workshop

Study Details

Brief summary:

The purpose of this study is to evaluate an intervention for improving Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) graduate student wellbeing. Participants will be recruited from the University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate student body. Data will be collected from participants for up to 2 years, and the investigators anticipate that the study will last for 4 years.

Conditions

Depression

Anxiety

Burnout, Student

Study ID

NCT05826860

Start date

Mar 10, 2023

Status verified date

May, 2026

Completion date

May, 2027

Anticipated

Primary completion date

May, 2027

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 18 or older
  • Current graduate student in a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) field at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • No significant experience with mindfulness practice

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Under 18
  • Significant experience with mindfulness practice
  • Not a current graduate student in a STEM field at the University of Wisconsin-Madison

Study Design

Enrollment

250 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Basic Science

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

no intervention: Control group

Survey only, no mindfulness/storytelling intervention

experimental: Intervention Group 1

Engage in a virtual Science Story Workshop

experimental: Intervention Group 2

2 week mindfulness practice using the HMP app

experimental: Intervention Group 3

Science Story Workshop and 2 week Mindfulness practice using the HMP app

Interventions

Mindfulness Practice

Participants follow guided meditations in the Healthy Minds Program (HMP) mobile phone app for at least 15 min per day, for a total of 14 days.

Storytelling Workshop

Participants attend 1 (120 min) workshops, teaching them creative writing tools and giving them opportunities to apply those tools.

Primary outcome measure

  • Change from Baseline in Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire at 4 weeks [ Time Frame: Baseline and 4 weeks ]
  • Change from Baseline in Perceived stress scale at 4 weeks [ Time Frame: Baseline and 4 weeks ]
  • Change from Baseline in WHO-5 Well-being Index at 4 weeks [ Time Frame: Baseline and 4 weeks ]
  • Change from Baseline in PROMIS Depression Questionnaire at 4 weeks [ Time Frame: Baseline and 4 weeks ]
  • Change from Baseline in PROMIS Anxiety Questionnaire at 4 weeks [ Time Frame: Baseline and 4 weeks ]
  • Change from Baseline in PROMIS Sleep Disturbance Questionnaire at 4 weeks [ Time Frame: Baseline and 4 weeks ]
  • Change from Baseline in PROMIS Global Health Questionnaire at 4 weeks [ Time Frame: Baseline and 4 weeks ]
  • Change from Baseline in Vanderweele Flourishing Measure at 4 weeks [ Time Frame: Baseline and 4 weeks ]
  • Change from Baseline in Academic Working Alliance Inventory at 4 weeks [ Time Frame: Baseline and 4 weeks ]
  • Change from Baseline in Academic Persistence Inventory at 4 weeks [ Time Frame: Baseline and 4 weeks ]
  • Change from Baseline in Copenhagen Burnout Inventory at 4 weeks [ Time Frame: Baseline and 4 weeks ]
  • Change in Baseline in Healthy Minds Index at 4 weeks [ Time Frame: Baseline and 4 weeks ]
  • Change in Grade Point Average [ Time Frame: Baseline, year one - semester one, year one - semester two, year two - semester one, year two - semester two ]
  • Change in Dissertator status [ Time Frame: Baseline, year one - semester one, year one - semester two, year two - semester one, year two - semester two ]
  • Change in Enrollment status [ Time Frame: Baseline, year one - semester one, year one - semester two, year two - semester one, year two - semester two ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Jo Handelsman, PhD

608-695-0093jo.handelsman@wisc.edu

Locations

Wisconsin Institute for Discovery

Recruiting

Madison, Wisconsin, United States, 53715

Principal Investigator:

Jo Handelsman, PhD

More Information

Sponsor

University of Wisconsin, Madison

Last update posted

May 20, 2026

Last verified

May, 2026

Keywords

  • student burnout
  • mindfulness
  • creative writing
  • graduate students
  • STEM education

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by University of Wisconsin, Madison on 2026-05-20.