A Mindfulness Course Decreases Burnout and Improves Well-Being among Healthcare Providers

Objective: Healthcare providers are under increasing stress and work-related burnout has become common. Mindfulness-based interventions have a potential role in decreasing stress and burnout. The purpose of this study was to determine if a continuing education course based on mindfulness-based stress reduction could decrease burnout and improve mental well-being among healthcare providers, from different professions. Design: This was a pre-post observational study conducted in a university medical center. A total of 93 healthcare providers, including physicians from multiple specialties, nurses, psychologists, and social workers who practiced in both university and community settings, participated. The intervention was a continuing education course based on mindfulness-based stress reduction that met 2.5 hours a week for 8 weeks plus a 7-hour retreat. The classes included training in four types of formal mindfulness practices, including the body scan, mindful movement, walking meditation and sitting meditation, as well as discussion focusing on the application of mindfulness at work. The course was offered 11 times over 6 years. The main outcome measures were work-related burnout as measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory and self-perceived mental and physical well-being as measured by the SF-12v2. Results: Maslach Burnout Inventory scores improved significantly from before to after the course for both physicians and other healthcare providers for the Emotional Exhaustion (p < 0.03), Depersonalization (p < 0.04), and Personal Accomplishment (p < 0.001) scales. Mental well-being measured by the SF12v2 also improved significantly (p < 0.001). There were no significant changes in the SF12v2 physical health scores. Conclusion: A continuing education course based on mindfulness-based stress reduction was associated with significant improvements in burnout scores and mental well-being for a broad range of healthcare providers.

[1]  J. Kabat-Zinn,et al.  Full catastrophe living : using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain, and illness , 1990 .

[2]  R. Epstein,et al.  Mindful practice. , 1999, JAMA.

[3]  W. Schaufeli,et al.  Job burnout. , 2001, Annual review of psychology.

[4]  L. Aiken,et al.  Hospital nurse staffing and patient mortality, nurse burnout, and job dissatisfaction. , 2002, JAMA.

[5]  M. Hojat,et al.  Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students , 2003, Teaching and learning in medicine.

[6]  T. Habermann,et al.  The well-being of physicians. , 2003, The American journal of medicine.

[7]  L. Aiken,et al.  Nurse Burnout and Patient Satisfaction , 2004, Medical care.

[8]  P. Rupert,et al.  Work Setting and Burnout Among Professional Psychologists. , 2005 .

[9]  Susan D. Wiley,et al.  The effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on nurse stress and burnout, Part II: A quantitative and qualitative study. , 2004, Holistic nursing practice.

[10]  C. Mackenzie,et al.  A brief mindfulness-based stress reduction intervention for nurses and nurse aides. , 2006, Applied nursing research : ANR.

[11]  J. Astin,et al.  Mechanisms of mindfulness. , 2006, Journal of clinical psychology.

[12]  J. Yager,et al.  The Impact of the Changing Health Care Environment on the Health and Well-Being of Faculty at Four Medical Schools , 2006, Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges.

[13]  Mark Linzer,et al.  The relationship of organizational culture, stress, satisfaction, and burnout with physician-reported error and suboptimal patient care: Results from the MEMO study , 2007, Health care management review.

[14]  S. Dobie,et al.  Viewpoint: Reflections on a Well-Traveled Path: Self-Awareness, Mindful Practice, and Relationship-Centered Care as Foundations for Medical Education , 2007, Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges.

[15]  T. Sectish,et al.  Rates of medication errors among depressed and burnt out residents: prospective cohort study , 2008, BMJ : British Medical Journal.

[16]  J. Freischlag,et al.  Burnout and Career Satisfaction Among American Surgeons , 2009, Annals of surgery.

[17]  T. Rummans,et al.  Career fit and burnout among academic faculty. , 2009, Archives of internal medicine.

[18]  T. Shanafelt.  Enhancing meaning in work: a prescription for preventing physician burnout and promoting patient-centered care. , 2009, JAMA.

[19]  P. Dobkin,et al.  Cultivating mindfulness in health care professionals: a review of empirical studies of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). , 2009, Complementary therapies in clinical practice.

[20]  Ronald M Epstein,et al.  Association of an educational program in mindful communication with burnout, empathy, and attitudes among primary care physicians. , 2009, JAMA.

[21]  Andrés Martín-Asuero,et al.  The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program (MBSR) Reduces Stress-Related Psychological Distress in Healthcare Professionals , 2010, The Spanish journal of psychology.

[22]  J. Kolars,et al.  Quality of life, burnout, educational debt, and medical knowledge among internal medicine residents. , 2011, JAMA.

[23]  D. Rakel,et al.  Mindfulness in medicine. , 2011, Explore.