Stress Free UC
Reduce stress. Improve your health & the UCSF community.
We are no longer enrolling for the Stress Free UCSF Study. Thank you for your interest!
What is Stress Free UCSF?
The Stress Free UCSF Study is the first large-scale research program focused on workplace stress in employees across the University of California, San Francisco campus.
By participating in the study, you will help the UCSF community determine whether Headspace™, a meditation application for your computer and/or smart phone, can improve employee health and wellbeing.
What is the goal of the study?
The goal of this study is to better understand how stress impacts health and well-being of UCSF employees and test a digital meditation intervention called Headspace™.
Read about Stress Free UCSF in the news!
Who is conducting the study?
This is a research study led by Drs. Aric Prather, PhD and Elissa S. Epel, PhD, of the UCSF Department of Psychiatry.
How is my info kept safe?
As researchers, we understand information about your life is personal. It’s our priority to keep the information you share for this study private. All information about you will be deidentified, meaning it’s kept separate from your name, phone number, or email, and no one outside of our study staff will have access to your records, including your employer. Providing access to your medical record will in no way affect the care you receive at UCSF.
What does it mean to join?
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See below or click here to see the study timeline!
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You will be asked complete online questionnaires about your health, lifestyle, and feelings. This will take between 5-20 minutes each time and will happen at:
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The beginning of the study
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+4 weeks
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+8 weeks
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+4 months
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+12 months
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We will ask for access to your medical and employment records so we can better understand how stress and stress-improvement is related to health, doctor visits, number of work absences, and more.
If you enroll, you will be selected to either the:
MEDITATION GROUP
If you are in this group, you will use a meditation program called Headspace™, available over the computer or on your smartphone, for 10 minutes each day for 8 weeks, beginning the day you are randomized.
WAITLIST CONTROL
If you're in this group, you will continue life as you normally do, without meditation. After 4 months, you will be given a one-year subscription to the Headspace™ application too!
Questions?
To join:
Click here for our eligibility questionnaire!
Study Timeline
