Creative Arts Program to Reduce Burnout, PTSD, Depression, and Anxiety in Hospital Healthcare Professionals

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating whether creative arts programs involving visual art, music, writing, or physical movement can reduce symptoms of burnout, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD, depression, and anxiety among critical care healthcare professionals. The study also explores if these creative activities help participants connect more deeply with their work purpose and develop better coping skills while fostering peer connections. This is an interventional study sponsored by the University of Colorado, Denver. Participants join one of five groups Visual Arts, Music, DanceMovement, WritingPoetry, or a Control group. Each creative arts group meets for 90 minutes once a week over 12 weeks, following a standard sequence that focuses on creating safety, inviting vulnerability, and building a supportive community. The Control group only completes surveys at baseline and after 12 weeks. Throughout the study, participants complete surveys and activity diaries to assess stress, well-being, and satisfaction. During the trial, participants undergo assessments including the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire at the end of 12 weeks to measure how acceptable and satisfying the program was. Other measures include changes in psychological well-being, affect, stress, occupational stress, psychological distress, anxiety, depression, and burnout levels, taken at the beginning and after the 12-week intervention. Qualitative focus groups are conducted post-intervention to evaluate acceptability, outcomes, and program development. The total participation lasts about 12 weeks.

Creative Arts Program to Reduce Burnout in Healthcare Professionals