CompletedNot Applicable

Improving Social Climate in Secure Settings With a Compassion Focused Staff Intervention

Switzerland96 participantsStarted 2024-05-31

Plain-language summary

This study evaluates the effectiveness of a Compassion Focused Staff Support (CFSS) intervention in improving the social climate of correctional and forensic psychiatric institutions. The intervention is based on Compassion Focused Therapy and designed to support staff in managing stress, enhancing affect regulation, and strengthening compassion toward self and others. Three institutional units are included in the study. One unit is randomly selected to receive the full CFSS intervention, including a half-day introductory workshop and monthly staff support sessions over six months. A second unit serves as a control group and receives no intervention. A third unit receives only the initial workshop without follow-up sessions. The effect of the intervention is evaluated using a pre-test/post-test design. Outcomes include changes in staff-reported and client-reported social climate, assessed with validated questionnaires, as well as institutional data on critical incidents. The study aims to improve working conditions in secure settings and foster more compassionate, effective staff-client interactions.

Who can participate

Age range

18 Years

Sex

ALL

See this in plain English?

AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.

Inclusion Criteria: Staff Participants: * Employed at one of the participating correctional or forensic psychiatric units * Aged 18 years or older * Willing to provide informed consent Client Participants: * Residing in one of the participating correctional or forensic psychiatric units at the time of data collection. * Aged 18 years or older. * Capable of providing informed consent Exclusion Criteria: Staff Participants: \- None (all eligible staff are invited to participate) Client Participants: * Not capable of providing informed consent (e.g., due to acute psychiatric crisis or cognitive impairment). * Not deemed competent to participate by treatment team.

Questions worth asking your doctor

Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.

1Based on my diagnosis and history, is this trial worth exploring for me — or is there a standard treatment we should try first?
2What does this trial's phase tell us about how much is already known about its safety and benefit?
3What would taking part actually involve for me — visits, tests, time, and travel?
4What are the known and possible risks or side effects I should weigh, and how would they be monitored?
5If this trial isn't the right fit, what other options or trials would you suggest I look into?

Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.

Questions for the trial coordinator

The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.

1What does taking part actually involve week to week — how many visits, where, and how long does each one take?
2What costs are covered by the study, and what might I have to pay for myself, including travel, parking, or time off work?
3What happens during screening, and what happens if the study team confirms I don't meet the criteria after those tests?
4Who pays for the scans, blood work, and other tests the trial requires — the study, my insurance, or me?
5How will being in the trial affect my regular care, and will my own doctor stay informed and involved?
6Can I leave the trial at any point if I change my mind, and what would happen to my care if I do?

A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.

What they're measuring

Staff-Perceived Social Climate

Timeframe: T0 (6 months before start of the intervention), T1 (2 weeks before start of the intervention), T2 (2 weeks after last session of the intervention)

Compassion

Timeframe: T0 (6 months before start of the intervention), T1 (2 weeks before start of the intervention), T2 (2 weeks after last session of the intervention)

Trial details

NCT IDNCT07135518

SponsorUniversity Psychiatric Clinics Basel

Sponsor typeNETWORK

Study typeINTERVENTIONAL

Primary completion2025-08-04

View on ClinicalTrials.gov More Social Climate trials

Plain-language summary

Who can participate

Age range

18 Years

Sex

ALL

See this in plain English?

AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.

What they're measuring

Staff-Perceived Social Climate

Timeframe: T0 (6 months before start of the intervention), T1 (2 weeks before start of the intervention), T2 (2 weeks after last session of the intervention)

Compassion

Timeframe: T0 (6 months before start of the intervention), T1 (2 weeks before start of the intervention), T2 (2 weeks after last session of the intervention)