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Effect of TrainingBURTSNCT03759795

Bournemouth University Resilience Training for Surgeons

A study testing ACTr (Acceptance and Commitment Training) in people with Effect of Training, run by Bournemouth University at 2 sites in United Kingdom.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The challenges that characterise surgical practice may result in a myriad of stressors that impact upon the personal and professional lives of surgeons. This includes a high likelihood that surgeons will have to deal with adverse patient outcomes due to surgical complications and errors, sometime during their careers. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 21 to 75 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Effect of Training
What is being tested?
ACTr (Acceptance and Commitment Training)
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
68 participants
Where
2 sitesUnited Kingdom
Study dates
14 Feb 2018to 1 Jan 2022
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 21 to 75 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Trainee surgeons and consultant surgeons

Who cannot join

  • None

Trial locations and contacts

2 sites in 1 country.

United Kingdom2 sites

  • Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

    Bournemouth, BH7 7DW

  • Poole Hopsital

    Poole, BH15 2JB

Other trials in United Kingdom

About this study

Official title: Ameliorating the Impact of Complications and Errors on Surgeons: Resilience Training for Surgeons.

The challenges that characterise surgical practice may result in a myriad of stressors that impact upon the personal and professional lives of surgeons. This includes a high likelihood that surgeons will have to deal with adverse patient outcomes due to surgical complications and errors, sometime during their careers. Such stressors can have undesirable effects on the surgeon in terms of quality of life and psychological well-being (e.g. anxiety, feelings of regret), as well as lowered professional confidence and impaired perceptions of professional competence. Furthermore, there is evidence that these kinds of negative impacts can also lead to burnout and depression. As well as the detrimental effects on surgeons and those around them, this in turn may lead to more errors and poorer outcomes for patients. This study will examine the efficacy of an ACT based training intervention to enhance resilience and psychological flexibility.

Read the detailed description

Research in a range of occupational settings has indicated that resilience plays an important role in ameliorating the impact of adverse events in high pressure environments. This project will use a randomised controlled trial research design to assess the efficacy of brief one-to-one Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACTr), designed to enhance surgeons' psychological resilience. According to the model ACTr is based on, psychopathology is primarily the consequence of psychological inflexibility i.e. inability to persist or change behaviour according to long-term values due to language and cognition skills, which has particular significance when an individual is confronted with stress or adversity.

The main aim of this research is to assess the efficacy of a brief one-to-one Acceptance and Commitment Training course. Researchers wish to ascertain whether such a course can increase surgeons' resilience by increasing psychological flexibility, valuing and self-compassion (all of which are expected to be positively impacted by this training). This research will fill a gap in the relevant research literature; namely that no research project as far as we are aware has evaluated ACTr as a means to enhance resilience in surgeons. In fact any research conducted on resilience training with a surgical population is rare.

Being tested
ACTr (Acceptance and Commitment Training)
Keywords
Resilience, Psychological flexibility, Acceptance and Commitment Training

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • ACTr (Acceptance and Commitment Training)Behavioural

    The programme is based on Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT), a contemporary, empirically supported approach to psychological well-being.

Study groups in NCT03759795
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Intervention GroupExperimentalAcceptance and Commitment Training (ACTr)
Receives: Behavioral: ACTr (Acceptance and Commitment Training)
Wait-list controlNo interventionNo intervention during trial. Participants in this group will be offered the training once the study is complete.

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Resilience - Brief Resilience Scale (BRS)

    A self-report measure of psychological resilience. Higher values represent a better outcome.

    Measured: 20 weeks

  2. General Health - General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12).

    A self reported measure of minor psychological symptomology in a non-clinical population.

    Measured: 20 weeks

Secondary outcomes (7)

  1. CBI (Copenhagen Burnout Inventory)

    A self-report measure of vulnerability to burnout. Lower values represent a better outcome.

    Measured: 20 weeks

  2. DASS21 (Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale)

    A self-report measure of depression, stress and anxiety. Lower values represent a better outcome.

    Measured: 20 weeks

  3. VLQ (Value Living Questionnaire)

    A self-report measure of valuing. Higher values represent a better outcome.

    Measured: 20 weeks

  4. WAAQ (Work related Acceptance and Action Questionnaire)

    A self-report measure of work related psychological flexibility. Higher values represent a better outcome.

    Measured: 20 weeks

  5. AAQII (Acceptance and Action Questionnaire)

    A self-report measure of general psychological inflexibility. Lower values represent a better outcome.

    Measured: 20 weeks

  6. SCS (Self Compassion Scale)

    A self-report measure of self compassion. Higher values represent a better outcome.

    Measured: 20 weeks

  7. SPS (Sense of Preparedness Scale)

    A self-report measure of preparedness for potential future events. Higher values represent a better outcome.

    Measured: 20 weeks

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted30 Nov 2018
  2. Study start14 Feb 2018
  3. Primary completion1 Jan 2022
  4. Study completion1 Jan 2022

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
68 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT03759795
Sponsor's protocol ID
1819/IRASSR/1
Acronym
BURTS
Status last verified
Mar 2022
First submitted
13 Nov 2018
Last updated
2 Mar 2022
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Undecided

Publications

  • Finnes A, Ghaderi A, Dahl J, Nager A, Enebrink P. Randomized controlled trial of acceptance and commitment therapy and a workplace intervention for sickness absence due to mental disorders. J Occup Health Psychol. 2019 Feb;24(1):198-212. doi: 10.1037/ocp0000097. Epub 2017 Sep 28.

    PubMed 28956942

  • Flaxman PE, Bond FW. A randomised worksite comparison of acceptance and commitment therapy and stress inoculation training. Behav Res Ther. 2010 Aug;48(8):816-20. doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2010.05.004. Epub 2010 May 8.

    PubMed 20627269

  • Pinto A, Faiz O, Davis R, Almoudaris A, Vincent C. Surgical complications and their impact on patients' psychosocial well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open. 2016 Feb 16;6(2):e007224. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2014-007224.

    PubMed 26883234

  • Shanafelt TD, Balch CM, Bechamps G, Russell T, Dyrbye L, Satele D, Collicott P, Novotny PJ, Sloan J, Freischlag J. Burnout and medical errors among American surgeons. Ann Surg. 2010 Jun;251(6):995-1000. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0b013e3181bfdab3.

    PubMed 19934755

  • Balch CM, Shanafelt TD, Dyrbye L, Sloan JA, Russell TR, Bechamps GJ, Freischlag JA. Surgeon distress as calibrated by hours worked and nights on call. J Am Coll Surg. 2010 Nov;211(5):609-19. doi: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2010.06.393. Epub 2010 Sep 20.

    PubMed 20851643

  • Flaxman P. , Bond, F., Livheim, F. (2013): The Mindful and Effective Employee: An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Training Manual for Improving Well-Being and Performance. New Harbinger Publications; 2013

  • Turner, K., Johnson, C., Thomas, K., Bolderston, H., & McDougall, S. (2016). The impact of complications and errors on surgeons. The Bulletin Of The Royal College Of Surgeons Of England, 98(9), 404-407. doi: 10.1308/rcsbull.2016.404

  • Greville-Harris M, Wezyk A, Thomas K, Richer S, Bolderston H, Purchase N, McDougall S, Turner KJ. Acceptance and commitment therapy- based intervention to improve psychological skills and resilience in surgical trainees: a randomised waitlist-controlled trial. BMC Surg. 2025 Jul 28;25(1):315. doi: 10.1186/s12893-025-03059-5.

    PubMed 40721794

  • Kunzler AM, Helmreich I, Chmitorz A, Konig J, Binder H, Wessa M, Lieb K. Psychological interventions to foster resilience in healthcare professionals. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020 Jul 5;7(7):CD012527. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD012527.pub2.

    PubMed 32627860

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing ACTr (Acceptance and Commitment Training) in people with Effect of Training, run by Bournemouth University at 2 sites in United Kingdom.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 Mar 2022. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 2 sites in United Kingdom. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Resilience - Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) (time frame: 20 weeks). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT03759795, which also lists 9 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 2 Mar 2022; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 27 Oct 2026.

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