The Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on Burnout in Clinical Genetic Counselors: A Three-Arm Randomized Controlled Trial.
Colleen Caleshu, Maryann Campion, Jehannine J Austin, Philippe R. Goldin, Julia Silver, Aad Tibben
medRxiv January 16, 2026 preprint DOI: 10.64898/2026.01.14.26344130 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 397 |
| Population | Clinical genetic counselors in the US |
| Interventions | Mindfulness meditation Active control meditation |
| Duration | 8-week intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Mindfulness meditation reduced burnout compared to no meditation, but the active control condition did not allow a conclusive test of the primary hypothesis. |
Abstract
Burnout is common among genetic counselors (GCs). Clinician burnout has been found to adversely affect individual well-being, patient care, and likelihood of staying in a role. Both individual and systems solutions are needed to address clinician burnout. Mindfulness meditation (MM) is one individual-level solution that has shown promise for reducing burnout in other clinicians but has not been studied in GCs. We conducted a decentralized, parallel, three-arm randomized controlled trial comparing MM to a novel active control meditation (ACM) and a no-meditation control (NMC), with 1:1:1 randomization. Participants were clinical GCs in the US. MM and ACM participants were asked to do 10 minutes of daily app-based meditation for 8 weeks. ACM was designed to control for non-specific aspects of MM by mimicking MM length and structure without including mindfulness techniques. The primary outcome, burnout, was assessed using the Professional Fulfillment Index. Secondary outcomes included other indicators of professional well-being, such as stress and professional fulfillment. Outcomes were assessed via an intention-to-treat approach, with multiple imputation for missing outcome data. Outcome analyses controlled for baseline trait mindfulness. 397 participants (mean age 33 years; 97.7% female, 94.2% White) were randomized, and 76% completed post-intervention outcome measures. There was no difference in burnout reduction between MM and ACM groups (p = 0.44). However, multiple measures suggest that ACM did not perform well as an inert active meditation control, thus the primary hypothesis could not be effectively tested. In pre-planned secondary analyses, MM reduced burnout (Cohen's d = -0.84, p < 0.001) compared to NMC, a passive control. Similar results were seen for stress. These findings suggest MM may be beneficial for GC professional well-being; however, further research on MM for GCs is needed with more diverse study samples and better active controls.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cites 22
- Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being JAMA Internal Medicine January 6, 2014
- Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation Perspectives on Psychological Science October 10, 2017
- Conceptual and methodological issues in research on mindfulness and meditation. American Psychologist October 1, 2015
- What Do We Really Know About Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction? Psychosomatic Medicine 2002
- The Empirical Status of Mindfulness-Based Interventions: A Systematic Review of 44 Meta-Analyses of Randomized Controlled Trials Perspectives on Psychological Science February 16, 2021
and 17 more in the library