Objective: This pilot study tested the efficacy of two brief, phone-administered, behavioral interventions derived from behavioral activation in reducing burnout among doctoral students.
Methods: Sixty-six doctoral students demonstrating current high burnout were randomly assigned to one of three intervention conditions: (1) Reward: increasing pleasant, rewarding behaviors, (2) Approach: approaching important goals that they have been avoiding, or (3) Control: monitoring only.
Results: Results indicated that doctoral students treated with the approach intervention reported significantly lower burnout compared to participants in the control condition immediately after the intervention and at a 1-week follow-up. Results also suggested that students in the approach intervention also reported higher well-being compared to students in the control condition.
Conclusion: These findings suggest that this approach intervention is an effective treatment for school burnout for doctoral students that can be delivered remotely through phone and web technology.
Keywords: behavioral activation; brief intervention; burnout; graduate students; phone-based.
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