Development and Validation of Single-Session Digital Self-Guided Intervention to Prevent Burnout & Improve Wellness

Summary

This study develops and evaluates a self-guided digital single-session mental health intervention designed to reduce workplace burnout and enhance psychological well-being among employed Canadian adults. Workplace burnout, characterized by emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced professional efficacy, affects approximately 40% of Canadian employees and leads to increased absenteeism, reduced productivity, and higher disability claims. Traditional mental health supports face barriers including long wait times, stigma, and accessibility issues. Single-Session Interventions (SSIs) offer a practical, cost-effective, and scalable complement to traditional services.

This is a randomized, double-arm, online trial. Participants are recruited via Prolific and randomly assigned (1:1) to either the experimental single-session burnout intervention or an active control condition focused on creative writing. The intervention focuses on its unique delivery of content focused on the evidence-based techniques, such as cognitive reframing, stress management, and behavioural strategies. The active control matches the intervention in length, structure, and user experience but omits the specific therapeutic ingredients.

All procedures are conducted entirely online through Qualtrics. Participants are compensated for their participation. Participants complete three sessions over approximately 30 days:

A baseline survey (about 10 minutes); A program session and immediate follow-up (about 40 minutes); And a 30-day follow-up survey (about 10 minutes).

Outcome measures include burnout (MBI-16), perceived stress (PSS-10), depressive symptoms (PHQ-8), anxiety (GAD-7), general health (GHQ-12), well-being (WHO-5), work engagement (UWES-3), readiness to change, perceived impact, and program feedback/acceptability. Main outcomes are examined using mixed-effects linear regression with a participant-level random intercept to test the group × time interaction across baseline, post-intervention, and follow-up.

Conditions

• Burnout, Professionals
• Wellness, Psychological

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Single-Session Intervention to Prevent Burnout & Enhance Psychological Wellness

The intervention was developed based on a comprehensive systematic review (Phase 1 of the dissertation) that screened 2,349 records and included 27 final studies examining self-guided digital mental health interventions. The design and content of the current intervention are grounded in the best practices identified through that systematic review. Testimonials serve as the core delivery method for the intervention's "active ingredients." The systematic review showed that testimonials communicate information through narrative, enhance engagement and memory retention, leverage mechanisms such as mirror-neuron activation, reduce resistance, and promote behavioural activation. Each testimonial is purposefully designed to deliver specific therapeutic content, including cognitive reframing strategies to manage workplace stress, behavioural techniques for setting boundaries, and self-care practices for daily work routines.

BEHAVIORAL

Creative Writing

A matched-length, structurally parallel module focused on creative writing. Matches the intervention in layout, pacing, and aesthetic style but intentionally omits therapeutic ingredients.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Saint Mary's University (Canada)

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

19 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-04-30

Primary Completion

2026-06-30

Completion

2026-08-31