Storytelling and Mindfulness for Graduate Student Wellbeing

Determining the Effect of Mindfulness and Storytelling on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math) Graduate Student Wellbeing

The purpose of this study is to evaluate an intervention for improving Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) graduate student wellbeing. Participants will be recruited from the University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate student body. Data will be collected from participants for up to 2 years, and the investigators anticipate that the study will last for 4 years.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Depression; Burnout, Student; Anxiety
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Mindfulness Practice; Behavioral: Storytelling Workshop

Detailed Description

The objective of this research is to evaluate the utility of storytelling and mindfulness practice in improving wellbeing in STEM graduate students. The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. Does engaging in mindfulness practice and storytelling increase measures of wellbeing in this population?
2. Does engaging in mindfulness practice and storytelling increase measures of academic success?

Participants will be randomized to 1 or 4 conditions (each will complete study questionnaires):

• a survey-only Control Group to complete a survey evaluating wellbeing and academic success
• Intervention Group 1 which will take a virtual Science Story workshop
• Intervention Group 2 which will engage in a mindfulness practice using the Healthy Minds Program (HMP) app for 2 weeks
• Intervention Group 3 which will both take a virtual Science Story workshop and use the HMP app for 2 weeks

Researchers will compare survey results from participants in the control group (no intervention, survey only) to those from participants in the intervention groups to see if the measures of wellbeing and academic success differ between groups.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 250
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Jo Handelsman, PhD; Phone Number: 608-695-0093; Email: jo.handelsman@wisc.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • Wisconsin
    • Madison, Wisconsin, United States, 53715
      • Recruiting
      • Wisconsin Institute for Discovery
      • Principal Investigator: Jo Handelsman, PhD
      • Sub-Investigator: Simon Goldberg, PhD
      • Sub-Investigator: Richard Davidson, PhD
      • Sub-Investigator: Judith Harackiewicz, PhD

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18 or older
• Current graduate student in a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) field at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
• No significant experience with mindfulness practice

Exclusion Criteria:

• Under 18
• Significant experience with mindfulness practice
• Not a current graduate student in a STEM field at the University of Wisconsin-Madison

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

4

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Control group; Survey only, no mindfulness/storytelling intervention
Experimental: Intervention Group 1; Engage in a virtual Science Story Workshop	Behavioral: Storytelling Workshop; Participants attend 1 (120 min) workshops, teaching them creative writing tools and giving them opportunities to apply those tools.
Experimental: Intervention Group 2; 2 week mindfulness practice using the HMP app	Behavioral: Mindfulness Practice; Participants follow guided meditations in the Healthy Minds Program (HMP) mobile phone app for at least 15 min per day, for a total of 14 days.
Experimental: Intervention Group 3; Science Story Workshop and 2 week Mindfulness practice using the HMP app	Behavioral: Mindfulness Practice; Participants follow guided meditations in the Healthy Minds Program (HMP) mobile phone app for at least 15 min per day, for a total of 14 days.; Behavioral: Storytelling Workshop; Participants attend 1 (120 min) workshops, teaching them creative writing tools and giving them opportunities to apply those tools.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Grade Point Average	This outcome is determined by the student's performance in academic courses at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It is measured on a scale of 0 to 4, with higher scores indicating greater academic success.	Baseline, year one - semester one, year one - semester two, year two - semester one, year two - semester two
Change in Dissertator status	This outcome is determined by the student's progress in completing their thesis research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Achieving dissertator status indicates that the student has passed their preliminary exam for attaining a doctoral degree.	Baseline, year one - semester one, year one - semester two, year two - semester one, year two - semester two
Change in Enrollment status	This outcome is determined by the student's progress in completing their thesis research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A student who is currently enrolled is assumed to be making progress towards completing their degree.	Baseline, year one - semester one, year one - semester two, year two - semester one, year two - semester two
Change from Baseline in Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire at 4 weeks	This survey is a measure of environmental, interpersonal, and self-awareness. It is a 39-item self-report questionnaire rated on a 1 to 5 scale from 1 (never or very rarely true) to 5 (very often or always true). Mean score from 1-5 is reported with higher scores indicating increased mindfulness.	Baseline and 4 weeks
Change from Baseline in Perceived stress scale at 4 weeks	This survey is a 21 question evaluation of perceived stress. It is a 14-item self-report questionnaire rated on a 1 (Never) to 4 (Very often) scale. Mean score from 1-4 is reported with higher scores indicating increased perception of stress.	Baseline and 4 weeks
Change from Baseline in WHO-5 Well-being Index at 4 weeks	This is a 5 question survey of well-being developed by the World Health Organization (WHO). It is a self-report questionnaire rated on a scale from 0 (At no time) to 5 (All the time). Mean score from 0-5 is reported with higher scores indicating greater well-being.	Baseline and 4 weeks
Change from Baseline in PROMIS Depression Questionnaire at 4 weeks	This survey is a measure of emotional distress/depressive symptoms available from PROMIS (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System). It is a 4-tem self-report questionnaire rated from 1 (Never) to 5 (Always). Mean score from 1-5 is reported with higher scores indicating greater emotional distress/depressive symptoms.	Baseline and 4 weeks
Change from Baseline in PROMIS Anxiety Questionnaire at 4 weeks	This survey is a measure of anxiety available from PROMIS (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System). It is a 4-tem self-report questionnaire rated from 1 (Never) to 5 (Always). Mean score from 1-5 is reported with higher scores indicating greater anxiety.	Baseline and 4 weeks
Change from Baseline in PROMIS Sleep Disturbance Questionnaire at 4 weeks	This survey is a measure of sleep quality available from PROMIS (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System). It is an 8-item self-report questionnaire rated from 1 (Very poor) to 5 (Very good) or 1 (Not at all) to 5 (Very much). Mean score from 1-5 is reported with higher scores indicating greater sleep disturbance.	Baseline and 4 weeks
Change from Baseline in PROMIS Global Health Questionnaire at 4 weeks	This survey is a measure of overall health available from PROMIS (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System). It is a 10-item self-report questionnaire. Mean scores are reported for each of 5 sections. The first 6 questions are rated on a scale of 1 (Poor) to 5 (Excellent); higher scores indicate better health. Question 7 is rated on a scale of 1 (Not at all) to 5 (Completely), with higher scores indicating better physical health. Question 8 is rated on a scale of 1 (Always) to 5 (Never), with higher scores indicating better mental health. Question 9 is rated on a scale of 1 (Very severe) to 5 (None), with higher scores indicating greater fatigue. Question 10 is rated on a scale of 0 (No pain) to 10 (Worst pain imaginable), with higher scores indicating greater pain.	Baseline and 4 weeks
Change from Baseline in Vanderweele Flourishing Measure at 4 weeks	This survey is a measure of life satisfaction, measuring 6 categories of life satisfaction; mean scores for all measures are reported. It is a 12-item self-report questionnaire. Domain 1 is measured on a scale of 0 (Not satisfied at all) to 10 (Completely satisfied). Domain 2 is measured on a scale of 0 (Poor) to 10 (Excellent), with higher scores indicating greater mental and physical health. Domain 3 is measured on a scale of 0 (Not at all worthwhile) to 10 (Completely worthwhile), with higher scores indicating greater perceived meaning and purpose. Domain 4 is measured on a scale of 0 (Strongly disagree) to 10 (Strongly agree), with higher scores indicating greater mental stability. Domain 5 is measured on a scale of 0 (Strongly disagree) to 10 (Strongly agree), with higher scores indicating better quality social relationships. Domain 6 is measured on a scale of 0 (Worry all of the time) to 10 (Do not ever worry), with higher scores indicating greater financial stability.	Baseline and 4 weeks
Change from Baseline in Academic Working Alliance Inventory at 4 weeks	This survey is a measure of the quality of the relationship between a student and an advisor. It is a 12-item self-report questionnaire measured on a scale of 1 (Never) to 7 (Always). Mean scores are reported, with higher scores indicating a better quality relationship between student and advisor.	Baseline and 4 weeks
Change from Baseline in Academic Persistence Inventory at 4 weeks	This survey is a measure of the likelihood that a student will complete their degree. It is a 28-item self-report questionnaire rated on a scale of 1 (No confidence OR Strongly disagree, depending on question) to 5 (Complete confidence OR Strongly agree, depending on question). Mean scores are reported, with higher scores indicating a greater likelihood of the student completing their degree.	Baseline and 4 weeks
Change from Baseline in Copenhagen Burnout Inventory at 4 weeks	This survey is a measure of burnout. It is a 15-item self-report questionnaire measured on a scale of 1 (Never/almost never) to 5 (Always). Mean scores are reported, with higher scores indicating greater levels of burnout.	Baseline and 4 weeks
Change in Baseline in Healthy Minds Index at 4 weeks	This survey is a measure of 4 facets of mindfulness: awareness, connection, insight, and purpose. It is a 17-item self-report questionnaire measured on a scale of 0 (None of the time OR Not at all, depending on question) to 4 (All of the time OR To the highest degree, depending on question). Mean scores are reported with higher scores indicating greater mindfulness.	Baseline and 4 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Wisconsin, Madison
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Jo Handelsman, PhD, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• Handelsman lab website

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 10, 2023
• Primary Completion (Estimated): May 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): May 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 14, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 21, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): April 24, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 20, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 18, 2026
• Last Verified: May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: mindfulness; graduate students; student burnout; creative writing; STEM education
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Behavioral Symptoms; Stress, Psychological; Behavior; Burnout, Psychological; Anxiety Disorders; Depression
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2022-1560; MSN269425 (Other Grant/Funding Number: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation); CALS/PLANT PATHOLOGY (Other Identifier: UW Madison); 2026-05-05 (Other Identifier: Handelsman Research Team)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No