Simulated Emergency Department Stress for Stress Management
What You Need to Know Before You Apply
What is the purpose of this trial?
This trial aims to understand how stress affects people during a simulated emergency department (ED) visit. Participants will perform tasks such as public speaking and math to observe how their stress levels, measured by specific body chemicals, respond. The trial consists of two parts: one with standard social stress tasks and another with tasks related to past stressful ED experiences. It seeks individuals who use methamphetamine, are not in treatment, have previously visited an ED, and can describe stressful ED experiences. As an unphased trial, this study offers participants the chance to contribute to valuable research on stress and emergency experiences.
Will I have to stop taking my current medications?
Yes, you will need to stop taking any daily medications to participate in this trial.
What prior data suggests that this stress management protocol is safe?
Research shows that the standard social stress task effectively creates short-term stress in a lab. Studies have found that this task can temporarily increase blood pressure, heart rate, and anxiety, but these effects are short-lived. The task is generally considered safe and has been widely used without serious issues.
Less direct information is available for the stressful experience in the emergency department (ED). However, its similarity to the standard social stress task suggests it is likely well-tolerated. These stress tasks are usually designed to be safe, with effects that fade quickly after completion.
Overall, both tasks are expected to be safe for participants. Any stress-related symptoms are usually mild and short-lived. Participants can feel reassured knowing these tasks have been used in many studies without significant problems.12345Why are researchers excited about this trial?
Researchers are excited about this trial because it's exploring how simulated stress in a controlled environment, like an Emergency Department (ED), can help people better manage real-life stress. Unlike traditional stress management techniques that often involve relaxation or cognitive-behavioral approaches, this method uses direct exposure to stressors in a safe setting to potentially build resilience. The trial aims to uncover whether facing stress head-on, through tasks like public speaking and mental challenges, can better prepare individuals for stressful situations in the future. This innovative approach could offer new insights into stress management strategies that are more engaging and practical for everyday life.
What evidence suggests that this trial's stress management methods could be effective?
This trial will compare two different stress-inducing scenarios to study stress management. Research has shown that stress management techniques can effectively alter cortisol levels in healthy adults. Cortisol, a hormone, rises during stress. Studies also indicate that social support before a stressful event can lower heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol levels. In emergency department (ED) settings, stress levels often run high due to the intense environment. Understanding reactions to stress in these settings could lead to better stress management strategies, potentially reducing agitation and improving overall well-being. Participants in this trial will undergo either a standard social stress task or a stressful experience in the ED scenario to evaluate their stress responses.36789
Who Is on the Research Team?
Alison Oliveto, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
University of Arkansas
Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?
This trial is for adults aged 21-55 who have been in an ED before and can imagine a stressful ED scenario. Healthy participants with no drug history and those with recent meth use meeting DSM-5 criteria can join, but not if they're pregnant, have serious health issues, or took substances the morning of the experiment.Inclusion Criteria
Exclusion Criteria
Timeline for a Trial Participant
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
Stress Task
Participants perform a stressor task involving public speaking and a mental arithmetic task in a simulated ED setting
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for stress response indicators such as cortisol and alpha-amylase levels, and behavioral ratings
What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?
Interventions
- Standard social stress task
- Stressful experience in the ED
Trial Overview
The study tests how people react to stress by having them perform public speaking and math tasks in a simulated ED setting. It aims to see if this setup feels like a real ED visit and measures stress through cortisol levels and agitation symptoms.
How Is the Trial Designed?
2
Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Participants will be given 4.5 minutes to prepare a 4.5-minute public speech on three experiences surrounding their most stressful ED visit. These experiences are presented in counterbalanced order. This will involve approximately 30 of public speaking stress given expected transitions. The public speeches will be presented in front of 1-2 individuals who are evaluating their presentations. Immediately after the public speaking task, participants will be asked to complete a mental arithmetic task for 15 minutes.
Participants will be given 4.5 minutes to prepare a 4.5-minute public speech on three standard scenarios presented in counterbalanced order. This will involve approximately 30 minutes of public speaking stress given expected transitions. The public speeches will be presented in front of 1-2 individuals who are evaluating their presentations. Immediately after the public speaking task, participants will be asked to complete a mental arithmetic task for 15 minutes.
Find a Clinic Near You
Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
University of Arkansas
Lead Sponsor
Citations
The Effectiveness of a Stress Reduction and Burnout ...
The primary outcome was change in perceived stress (PSQ) at 6 months post-intervention. Secondary outcomes included burnout symptoms, well-being, health status, ...
How to Relax in Stressful Situations: A Smart ...
This paper describes emotion regulation in the context of stress management and how yoga and mindfulness can be used for regulating emotions (Section 2).
Effectiveness of stress management interventions to ...
Meta-analytic evidence suggests stress management interventions are effective in changing cortisol levels in healthy adults.
Stress recovery with social support: A dyadic stress and ...
Social support immediately before the stressful event is reported to attenuate heart rate, blood pressure and cortisol responses to the stress task, and reduce ...
Mindfulness for Reducing Work-Related Stress
The present study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program in improving physical and psychological well-being ...
How to measure psychological stress in health research
This article describes best practices in stress measurement, detailing which dimensions of stressor exposures and stress responses to capture, and how.
The Trier Social Stress Test and the ...
The present study. The TSST is one of the most widely used tools and the gold standard to experimentally induce acute psychosocial stress [10].
Stress in America™ 2020: A National Mental Health Crisis
The 2020 Stress in America TM report summarizes findings on national stress levels and proposes strategies to help us recover from this crisis.
Trier Social Stress Test Elevates Blood Pressure, Heart ...
The TSST significantly elevated systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, and self-rated anxiety from pre-stress levels, ...
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