NCT07370038

Feasibility and Acceptability of the Unified Protocol for Burnout

Implementing the Unified Protocol for Burnout (UP-B): A Feasibility and Acceptability Study.

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 24 (estimated)
• Sponsor: West University of Timisoara · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The present study has three primary objectives: (1) to evaluate the feasibility of implementing the Unified Protocol for Burnout (UP-B) an intervention derived from the Unified Protocol (Barlow et al., 2018); (2) to assess the acceptability of the intervention among both recipients and psychotherapists; and (3) to examine preliminary signals of the UP-B's efficacy. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Is the intervention feasible as indicated by recruitment rates, data collection procedures, and acceptable rates of participant retention and treatment completion? 2. Is the UP-B acceptable for both participants and psychotherapists considering content, content structure, mode of delivery, and adherence? 3. Does the UP-B show preliminary evidence of effectiveness (i.e., efficacy signals) in reducing burnout, anxiety, depression, and increasing well-being?

Detailed description

This research employs a single-arm, open-label trial design with a one-month follow-up assessment. In addition, two post-intervention focus groups will be conducted-one with participating psychotherapists and one with participants-to explore potential barriers to implementation and to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the intervention. The Unified Protocol for Burnout consists of eight modules delivered in a group format, with approximately eight participants per group. The intervention is administered across eight two-hour sessions and is designed to treat clinical burnout. Participants will learn a set of transdiagnostic skills aimed at improving their ability to manage burnout and associated symptoms, such as anxiety and depression. These skills include mindful emotion awareness, cognitive flexibility, and strategies for countering maladaptive emotional behaviors. The psychotherapists involved in the study (n= 3) will receive specialized training in the Unified Protocol and will be supervised throughout the intervention by two licensed clinical psychologists and psychotherapists with extensive experience in developing and implementing the Unified Protocol.

Conditions

• Clinical Burnout

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Unified Protocol for Burnout	During the intervention, participants will complete eight modules designed to equip them with a defined set of skills for managing clinical burnout (i.e., understanding emotions, mindful emotion awareness, awareness and confrontation of physical sensations, cognitive flexibility, enhancement of cognitive functioning, and emotion-focused exposures). After each module, participants will be assigned homework exercises, which will be reviewed and discussed during the subsequent session.

Timeline

• Start date: 2026-01-20
• Primary completion: 2026-05-31
• Completion: 2026-06-30
• First posted: 2026-01-27
• Last updated: 2026-01-27

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Romania