Mindfulness-Based Program for Educator Well-being

(CHIME Trial)

Overseen By Jaci Foged, MA

Age: Any Age

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Nebraska Lincoln

Disqualifiers: Not working at participating center, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

860 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests a mindfulness program called CHIME (Cultivating Healthy Intentional Mindful Educators) to determine its impact on the emotional well-being of educators in Early Head Start and Head Start settings. The study also examines whether the program benefits young children's social and emotional health. Educators will either participate in the program or join a waitlist for comparison. Those working over 20 hours a week at a participating center and willing to try CHIME are ideal candidates for this study. As an unphased trial, this study allows educators to contribute to valuable research that could enhance emotional well-being in educational settings.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It seems focused on mindfulness and well-being, so it's unlikely to require changes to your medication, but you should confirm with the study coordinators.

What prior data suggests that the CHIME program is safe for educators?

Research shows that the CHIME program, which stands for Cultivating Healthy Intentional Mindful Educators, aims to improve teachers' emotional well-being through a mindfulness-based approach. This program teaches mindfulness, self-kindness, and strategies for understanding and managing emotions.

Early results suggest that educators find CHIME easy to follow. Studies have found that teachers who participated in similar mindfulness programs experienced better emotional control and an overall sense of well-being. No major negative effects have been reported from these types of programs, indicating that CHIME is likely safe for participants, as it uses well-known mindfulness practices that are usually low-risk. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the Mindfulness-Based Program for Educator Well-being because it focuses on enhancing educators' mental health through mindfulness and self-compassion, which are not typically emphasized in traditional professional development programs. Unlike standard options that might focus on skill training or classroom management, this program aims to improve educators' emotional regulation and responsiveness by fostering a mindful approach. The unique aspect of this program, known as CHIME, is its comprehensive focus on both educator well-being and socio-emotional learning, which has the potential to create a more positive learning environment for both teachers and students.

What evidence suggests that the CHIME program is effective for improving educator well-being?

Research shows that the Cultivating Healthy Intentional Mindful Educators (CHIME) program, which participants in this trial may receive, can enhance teachers' emotional well-being. Studies have found that mindfulness-focused programs like CHIME boost teachers' self-awareness and self-kindness. Early evidence suggests that teachers in these programs manage their emotions better and experience improved overall health. These improvements can also enhance teaching and classroom interactions. Although more research is needed, these early results offer encouragement for teachers seeking to improve their emotional health and effectiveness. ^{2 6 7 8 9}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Holly Hatton-Bowers, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Nebraska Lincoln

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for Early Head Start/Head Start educators over 19, working more than 20 hours weekly, who can give informed consent and participate in English. It's also for parents and children under 6 in these programs, with consenting parents able to engage in study activities.

Inclusion Criteria

My child is under 6, can follow study activities in English or with help, and has consent from me.

Early Head Start and Head Start Educators: Provision of signed and dated informed consent form in Docusign, Currently employed as a lead or assistant educator for >20 hours per week in a participating Head Start or Early Head Start center, Stated intention to participate in the CHIME intervention, All genders; age 19 and older, Able to complete activities in English

I am a parent or guardian over 19, can sign consent, and can complete study activities.

Exclusion Criteria

I am under 19 and not a parent or guardian of a child in EHS/HS.

I am an educator under 19 and don't work at a HS/EHS center.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Educators participate in the CHIME intervention, an 8-week mindfulness and self-compassion based program

8 weeks

Weekly sessions

Waitlist Control

Educators in the control group wait for 6 months before receiving the intervention, continuing with usual support

6 months

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in self-compassion, emotional regulation, and other outcomes

3 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Cultivating Healthy Intentional Mindful Educators

Trial Overview The CHIME program aims to enhance educator well-being through mindfulness practices. The trial compares the emotional health and teaching effectiveness of those using CHIME now versus those starting later.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Receives CHIME Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Half of the educators participating in the trial will be assigned to this condition. CHIME is an 8-week, mindfulness and self-compassion based intervention that teaches educators strategies to enhance socioemotional learning in the classroom. The primary endpoints are: educator mindfulness and self-compassion, educator emotional regulation, educator heart rate variability, educator wellbeing and socio-emotional learning, and educator responsiveness, support, and sensitivity in the classroom. The secondary endpoints are: child self-regulation and social skills and family-school relationships.

Group II: Wait-listed comparison Active Control 1 Intervention

Half of the HS/EHS educators will be assigned to a waitlisted control group. Specifically, these educators will be scheduled to receive the intervention after a 6-month waiting period. During the interim period, they will complete the same assessments as Arm 1, but will continue to receive 'business as usual' support and professional development through typical Head Start/EHS programming.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Nebraska Lincoln

Lead Sponsor

Trials

40

Recruited

13,200+

Department of Health and Human Services

Collaborator

Trials

240

Recruited

944,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

A 4-day residential 'Mindful Practice' workshop for physicians significantly improved burnout symptoms, job satisfaction, and patient-centered compassionate care among 85 participants, with effect sizes ranging from 0.25 to 0.61.

The workshop also enhanced work engagement and well-being, indicating that intensive mindfulness training can positively impact clinician health and the quality of care provided, although future programs should place more emphasis on teamwork.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effect of an Intensive Mindful Practice Workshop on Patient-Centered Compassionate Care, Clinician Well-Being, Work Engagement, and Teamwork. Epstein, RM., Marshall, F., Sanders, M., et al.[2022]

The Mindfulness-Based Emotional Balance (MBEB) program showed promise for improving the well-being and teaching practices of early elementary teachers, with 58% reporting personal and professional benefits after participating in a 27.5-hour program.

Teachers demonstrated significant improvements in skills and mindsets, with effect sizes ranging from small to large (|d| = 0.30 to 0.83), indicating that mindfulness training can positively impact their occupational health and effectiveness in the classroom.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Results from a pre-post, uncontrolled pilot study of a mindfulness-based program for early elementary school teachers. Braun, SS., Roeser, RW., Mashburn, AJ.[2020]

A study involving 224 teachers from high-poverty areas in New York City showed that those who participated in the Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE) program experienced significant and sustained reductions in psychological distress and physical distress related to stress, nearly one year after the intervention.

Teachers in the CARE program also reported improved emotion regulation and mindfulness, indicating that mindfulness-based interventions can have lasting positive effects on teacher well-being and potentially enhance the quality of education.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Long-term impacts of the CARE program on teachers' self-reported social and emotional competence and well-being. Jennings, PA., Doyle, S., Oh, Y., et al.[2020]

The CARE for Teachers program, a mindfulness-based professional development initiative, significantly improved teacher well-being, efficacy, burnout, and mindfulness in a randomized controlled trial with 50 participants compared to a waitlist control group.

Teachers found the CARE program to be feasible, acceptable, and effective, indicating its potential to support educators in challenging environments and enhance classroom learning experiences.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Improving classroom learning environments by Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE): results of a randomized controlled trial. Jennings, PA., Frank, JL., Snowberg, KE., et al.[2019]

Many mindfulness-based programs in K-12 schools, such as Inner Explorer and Mindful Schools, lack substantial research backing their effectiveness, despite being widely implemented.

The review highlights the need for more rigorous evaluations of these programs to assess their feasibility, acceptability, and overall impact on students' well-being, encouraging collaboration among researchers and educators.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

MINDFULNESS GOES TO SCHOOL: THINGS LEARNED (SO FAR) FROM RESEARCH AND REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCES. Semple, RJ., Droutman, V., Reid, BA.[2019]

The Mindfulness for Interdisciplinary Healthcare Professional (MIHP) program, an eight-week intervention involving meditation and yoga, was found to be feasible and acceptable for healthcare professionals, showing significant improvements in burnout, perceived stress, and activity impairment compared to a control group of 26 participants.

While MIHP improved mindfulness and reduced stress-related outcomes, it did not have a measurable impact on cognitive performance or work productivity, indicating that while mindfulness practices can help with emotional well-being, they may not directly enhance work efficiency.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Mindfulness training for healthcare professional students: A waitlist controlled pilot study on psychological and work-relevant outcomes. Braun, SE., Dow, A., Loughan, A., et al.[2020]

A brief mindfulness-based intervention (bMBI) consisting of four sessions over six hours effectively reduced self-reported stress, burnout, and depression among teachers, highlighting its potential as a practical solution for teacher well-being.

The study suggests that shorter, less intensive mindfulness interventions can be just as effective, if not more so, than longer programs, paving the way for more cost-effective and accessible mental health strategies in educational settings.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Brief Mindfulness-Based Intervention (bMBI) to Reduce Teacher Stress and Burnout. Taylor, SG., Roberts, AM., Zarrett, N.[2022]

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center implemented a comprehensive, multiyear program starting in 2010 to reduce provider burnout and improve resilience, which included cultural change, mindfulness training, and wellness programs, resulting in improved patient satisfaction and reduced safety events.

Mindfulness training, particularly through the Mindfulness in Motion program and 'flipped classroom' approaches, significantly enhanced provider well-being, reduced emotional exhaustion, and increased resilience among staff, faculty, and residents.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Interventions to Reduce Burnout and Improve Resilience: Impact on a Health System's Outcomes. Moffatt-Bruce, SD., Nguyen, MC., Steinberg, B., et al.[2020]

An 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program significantly improved mindfulness, self-compassion, and personal accomplishment among 236 K-12 educators, while also reducing feelings of isolation, anxiety, fatigue, and emotional exhaustion.

Long-term benefits included continued improvements in self-compassion and mindfulness, along with significant decreases in fatigue and sleep disturbances, highlighting the program's effectiveness in enhancing educator well-being.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Impact of Mindfulness Training on the Well-Being of Educators. Dave, DJ., McClure, LA., Rojas, SR., et al.[2020]

In a study of 206 secondary school teachers, both instructor-led and self-taught mindfulness training (MT) improved well-being, but the instructor-led format was more effective in enhancing mindfulness, self-compassion, and reducing psychological distress.

The instructor-led MT also had a greater impact on reducing perceived stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout, suggesting that direct guidance may enhance the mechanisms of change more effectively than self-taught methods.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Teachers "Finding Peace in a Frantic World": An Experimental Study of Self-Taught and Instructor-Led Mindfulness Program Formats on Acceptability, Effectiveness, and Mechanisms. Montero-Marin, J., Taylor, L., Crane, C., et al.[2022]

A review of 48 studies on school-based mindfulness and yoga programs revealed that less than 10% clearly defined core program components, indicating a lack of rigorous implementation fidelity (FOI) assessment.

Fewer than 20% of the studies evaluated aspects of FOI beyond just participant dosage, highlighting the need for better measures to capture the effectiveness and consistency of these interventions in K-12 settings.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Assessing Fidelity of Implementation (FOI) for School-Based Mindfulness and Yoga Interventions: A Systematic Review. Gould, LF., Dariotis, JK., Greenberg, MT., et al.[2023]

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have a medium treatment effect (g = .601) on reducing occupational stress among teachers, based on a synthesis of 29 studies involving 1,493 participants.

While MBIs showed positive effects on teacher outcomes, they had the smallest impact on classroom climate and instructional practices, indicating that more research is needed to understand their full effectiveness in educational settings.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Mindfulness-based interventions for teachers: A meta-analysis of the emerging evidence base. Klingbeil, DA., Renshaw, TL.[2018]

The eight-week Mindfulness-Based Health Program for Educators significantly reduced perceived stress and negative emotions in 88 female teachers, while improving their psychological well-being and resilience.

The program also positively influenced inflammatory markers, reducing levels of IL-6 and IL-8, and increasing IL-10 and IL-12p70, suggesting benefits for both mental health and immune function.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Fostering emotional self-regulation in female teachers at the public teaching network: A mindfulness-based intervention improving psychological measures and inflammatory biomarkers. Wilson, D., Rodrigues de Oliveira, D., Palace-Berl, F., et al.[2022]

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9360643/

Promising Findings that the Cultivating Healthy Intentional ... These promising findings highlight mindfulness-based intervention as a potentially powerful means to enhance EC teacher well-being and increase ...

2. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05791825

Evaluation of the CHIME Intervention for Improving Early ... This study will test how well a mindfulness-based intervention called CHIME improves the emotional well-being of educators in Early Head Start and Head Start ( ...

3. eric.ed.gov eric.ed.gov/?q=ECS&ff1=subIntervention&id=EJ1390076

EJ1390076 - Promising Findings That the Cultivating ... We offer preliminary evidence that learning about mindfulness, self-compassion, and social-emotional learning supports EC teachers in strengthening their ...

4. cyfs.unl.edu cyfs.unl.edu/research-network/research-projects/project?id=e0c43d244dbf6a0ae970cd912ff8f2f7

Cultivating Healthy Intentional Mindful Educators (CHIME) This project aims to deliver and evaluate CHIME with 80 early childhood professionals during the 2020-21 period.

5. researchgate.net researchgate.net/publication/362566678_Promising_Findings_that_the_Cultivating_Healthy_Intentional_Mindful_Educators'_Program_CHIME_Strengthens_Early_Childhood_Teachers'_Emotional_Resources_An_Iterative_Study

Promising Findings that the Cultivating Healthy Intentional ... We offer preliminary evidence that learning about mindfulness, self-compassion, and social-emotional learning supports EC teachers in ...

6. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35967911/

Promising Findings that the Cultivating Healthy Intentional ... We offer preliminary evidence that learning about mindfulness, self-compassion, and social-emotional learning supports EC teachers in strengthening their ...

7. digitalcommons.unl.edu digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1359&context=famconfacpub

DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Informed by this research background, the Cultivating Healthy, In‑ tentional, Mindful Educators (CHIME) program was developed as an eight‑week ...

8. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306453023002305

Examining the Associations of Early Childhood Teacher's ... In this presentation, we share preliminary evidence of a mindfulness-based intervention, Cultivating Healthy Intentional Mindful Educators (CHIME) to support EC ...

9. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-occupational-stress-2-2023-fc530

Mindfulness-Based Program for Educator Well-being This study will test how well a mindfulness-based intervention called CHIME improves the emotional well-being of educators in Early Head Start and Head ...