The Western Australian medical schools mindfulness project: a randomised controlled trial.
S Moore, Nahal Mavaddat, Kirsten Auret, Craig Hassed, Richard Chambers, C Sinclair, H Wilcox, H Ngo
BMC Medical Education October 22, 2024 DOI: 10.1186/s12909-024-06128-0 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized waitlist control trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 114 |
| Population | Medical students |
| Intervention | online mindfulness-based intervention |
| Duration | 8-week intervention, 6-month follow-up |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 9 |
| Key findings | Online mindfulness training produced modest improvements in mindfulness, self-compassion, and study engagement at program completion, with a sustained improvement in mindfulness at 6 months. |
Abstract
Evidence for the longer-term benefits of online mindfulness training for medical students, including in the reduction of stress and improved wellbeing, is limited. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a novel online mindfulness training program on trait mindfulness, wellbeing and study engagement of medical students at program completion and 6-month follow-up. This was a randomised waitlist control study of an 8-week, online, mindfulness-based intervention versus normal curriculum alone for medical students (N = 114). The primary outcome measures were the changes from baseline to program completion at Week 8 for self-reported trait mindfulness (Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory), perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale), self-compassion (Self-Compassion Scale) and study engagement scores (Utrecht Work Engagement Scale for Students). The secondary outcome measures were these score changes from baseline to 6-month follow up. Intervention and control students completed surveys at all three time points. Program adherence (Mindfulness Adherence Questionnaire) was also measured in the intervention group. The intervention group experienced modest but statistically significant improvements in mindfulness (9%, p = 0.0002), self-compassion (5%, p = 0.026), and study engagement (4%, p = 0.035) from baseline to Week 8. They also reported a sustained improvement of 5% (p = 0.017) in mindfulness scores at 6 months. The control group reported no significant changes at Week 8 or 6 Months. Between-group comparisons showed that compared to the control group, the intervention group improved significantly more in mindfulness (p = 0.0076), and statistically marginally more in study engagement (p = 0.0534) at Week 8. No statistically significant between-group differences were observed at 6 months. These results add to the small but growing body of evidence suggesting that online mindfulness-based interventions with minimal contact can improve, albeit in modest magnitude, mindfulness and possibly study engagement in medical students for the duration of a mindfulness program. Further refinements to the program may be important to maintain improvements in the longer-term. Registration number ACTRN12624000783527.
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
Cited by 6
- Effectiveness of Neurofeedback-Assisted and Conventional 6-Week Web-Based Mindfulness Interventions on Mental Health of Chinese Nursing Students: Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research May 23, 2025
- Online mindfulness-based vs. cognitive-behavioural stress reduction for medical students: A randomized controlled trial. Psychiatry Research July 11, 2025
- A tailored online mindfulness intervention for junior doctors: a mixed-methods study BMC Medical Education August 12, 2026
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Psychological Stress in Medical Students: A Systematic Review Healthcare July 2, 2026
- Effectiveness of an Online Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Improving Mental Health in Undergraduate Students: A Randomized Clinical Trial International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health June 30, 2026
and 1 more in the library
Cites 16
- Teaching self-care to caregivers: Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on the mental health of therapists in training. Training and Education in Professional Psychology May 1, 2007
- Women Benefit More Than Men in Response to College-based Meditation Training. Frontiers in Psychology 2017
- Effectiveness of training programs based on mindfulness in reducing psychological distress and promoting well-being in medical students: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Systematic Reviews May 5, 2023
- Mindfulness Is Associated With Lower Stress and Higher Work Engagement in a Large Sample of MOOC Participants. Frontiers in Psychology 2021
- The importance of formal versus informal mindfulness practice for enhancing psychological wellbeing and study engagement in a medical student cohort with a 5-week mindfulness-based lifestyle program. PLoS One 2021
and 11 more in the library