Mindful practice with medical interpreters
Gretchen Roman, Reza Yousefi-Nooraie, Paul Vermilion, Anapaula Cupertino, Steven Barnett, Ronald M Epstein
Frontiers in Psychology October 26, 2023 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1171993 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Single-arm embedded QUAN(qual) mixed-methods pilot study Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 17 |
| Population | Medical sign and spoken language interpreters |
| Duration | 8 weekly 1-hour sessions, with assessments at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and 1-month post-intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Coping Medical interpreters Mindful practice Resilience |
| Key points | Among 17 medical interpreters, an 8-week Mindful Practice® program was followed by increases in teamwork, coping, and resilience from pre- to post-intervention and pre- to 1-month follow-up, and by an increase in the mindfulness component of non-judging from pre- to post-intervention. Compassion satisfaction and burnout improved only from pre- to 1-month follow-up. The authors conclude that mindful practice can serve as an effective resource for coping with work-related stressors. |
Abstract
IntroductionMedical interpreters experience emotional burdens from the complex demands at work. Because communication access is a social determinant of health, protecting and promoting the health of medical interpreters is critical for ensuring equitable access to care for language-minority patients. The purpose of this study was to pilot a condensed 8-h program based on Mindful Practice® in Medicine addressing the contributors to distress and psychosocial stressors faced by medical sign and spoken language interpreters.MethodsUsing a single-arm embedded QUAN(qual) mixed-methods pilot study design, weekly in-person 1-h sessions for 8 weeks involved formal and informal contemplative practice, didactic delivery of the week's theme (mindfulness, noticing, teamwork, suffering, professionalism, uncertainty, compassion, and resilience), and mindful inquiry exercises (narrative medicine, appreciative interviews, and insight dialog). Quantitative well-being outcomes (mean±SEM) were gathered via survey at pre-, post-, and 1-month post-intervention time points, compared with available norms, and evaluated for differences within subjects. Voluntary feedback about the workshop series was solicited post-intervention via a free text survey item and individual exit interviews. A thematic framework was established by way of qualitative description.ResultsSeventeen medical interpreters (46.2 ± 3.1 years old; 16 women/1 man; 8 White/9 Hispanic or Latino) participated. Overall scores for teamwork (p ≤ 0.027), coping (p ≤ 0.006), and resilience (p ≤ 0.045) increased from pre- to post-intervention and pre- to 1-month post-intervention. Non-judging as a mindfulness component increased from pre- to post-intervention (p = 0.014). Compassion satisfaction (p = 0.021) and burnout (p = 0.030) as components of professional quality of life demonstrated slightly delayed effects, improving from pre- to 1-month post-intervention. Themes such as workshop schedule, group size, group composition, interactivity, topics to be added or removed, and culture are related to the overarching topic areas of intervention logistics and content. Integration of the findings accentuated the positive impact of the intervention.DiscussionThe results of this research demonstrate that mindful practice can serve as an effective resource for medical interpreters when coping with work-related stressors. Future iterations of the mindful practice intervention will further aspire to address linguistic and cultural diversity in the study population for broader representation and subsequent generalization.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cites 7
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Association of an Educational Program in Mindful Communication With Burnout, Empathy, and Attitudes Among Primary Care Physicians JAMA September 22, 2009
- Feasibility of Formal Mindfulness-Based Stress-Resilience Training Among Surgery Interns JAMA Surgery August 30, 2018
- Sustained Impact of MBSR on Stress, Well-Being, and Daily Spiritual Experiences for 1 Year in Academic Health Care Employees The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine October 1, 2011
- Effect of an Intensive Mindful Practice Workshop on Patient-Centered Compassionate Care, Clinician Well-Being, Work Engagement, and Teamwork. The Journal of continuing education in the health professions 2022
and 2 more in the library