The Effectiveness of Guided Imagery for a Nonprofit's Employees

A Randomized Controlled Trial Measuring the Effectiveness of Prerecorded Guided Imagery in Reducing Compassion Fatigue, Burnout, Perceived Stress, and State Anxiety of a Mental Health Nonprofit's Employees

Primary Aim A. To determine if listening to prerecorded guided imagery 3 times per week for 4 weeks will reduce state anxiety, perceived stress, burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma in Fronltine Service staff. Primary Aim B. To determine if staff will continue to listen to guided imagery after the first 4 weeks of the study is over.

The purpose of this study is to compare the change in stress levels of employees who listen to prerecorded guided imagery to employees who take breaks, and to determine if employees are likely to adopt prerecorded guided imagery as a self-care tool. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the guided imagery group or the control group. Members of the control group will be asked to take a 10 minute break 3 times per week for 4 weeks. Members of the guided imagery group will be asked to listen to one prerecorded guided imagery track 3 times per week for 4 weeks. All participants will fill out questionnaires before and after the 4 week period. All participants will fill out a short form before and after listening to each guided imagery, or before and after taking each break. Phase 2: After phase 1 is complete, all participants will have the option to participate in phase 2 of the study. During phase 2, participants will receive a calendar and put a mark on every day that they listen to a guided imagery track. At the end of 4 weeks, participants will turn in the calendar.

Guided imagery is a stress management technique that uses verbal suggestion and descriptive language to guide the listener into imagining sensations and visualizing images in the mind in order to bring about a desired physical response, such as reduction in anxiety, stress, or pain. The guided imagery tracks chosen for the study were chosen because their goal is relaxation and stress relief, and their length is under 15 minutes.

Participants in the experimental group will fill out the State Anxiety Short Form, a 6-item questionnaire before and after listening to guided imagery. Participants in the control group will fill out the same measure before and after taking a break. This will be done 3 times per week for a duration of 4 weeks.

Participants in both the control and experimental groups will complete the ProQol, a 30-item questionnaire, before and after the 4-week intervention period.

Participants in the experimental and control groups will complete the Perceived Stress Scale, a self-report, 10-item questionnaire, before and after the 4-week intervention period.

Inclusion Criteria: Staff of a nonprofit who work a minimum of three shifts per week Willing and able to use about 8-15 minutes of their lunch hours three times per week for for four weeks for the study Exclusion Criteria: Staff members will be excluded from the study if they currently listen to guided imagery Those currently experiencing drug or alcohol abuse, suicidal ideation, or other serious mental health issue while not under the care of a trained mental health professional will also be excluded