The relationship between mindfulness and burnout in physicians.
Fen Huang, Jinfang Lei, Chenchen Zhang, Xiaowen Li
BMC Medical Education March 3, 2025 DOI: 10.1186/s12909-025-06923-3 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study (multiverse-style analysis plus intensive longitudinal assessment) Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 8,462 |
| Population | Physicians |
| Duration | 21-day intensive longitudinal assessment |
| Measures | Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBIES) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Longitudinal studies Burnout, professional Adult Middle aged Physicians Female Surveys and questionnaires Intensive longitudinal Multiverse-style |
| Key findings | Mindfulness showed a robust negative association with burnout in a large sample of physicians, and perceived organizational support and psychological safety sequentially mediated this relationship in a 21-day intensive longitudinal assessment. The authors argue these findings provide a basis for organizational-level interventions to improve physicians' work environments. |
Abstract
Background: To investigate the relationship between mindfulness and burnout in physicians and its underlying mechanisms.
Methods: Study 1 employed a multiverse-style analysis based on a large sample of 8,462 physicians to examine the robust relationship between mindfulness(MAAS) and burnout(MBIES). Study 2 conducted a 21-day intensive longitudinal assessment on 471 physicians to explore the internal mechanisms by which mindfulness affects burnout.
Results: Study 1 found that the negative association between mindfulness and burnout is robust. Study 2 discovered that Perceived Organizational Support(POS) and Psychological Safety(PS) play a sequential mediating role in the effect of mindfulness on burnout.
Conclusions: These findings provide a theoretical basis for formulating interventions at the organizational level and have important practical and theoretical significance for optimizing physicians' work environments and improving the medical quality. Clinical trial number: Not applicable.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |
Citations in the library
Cites 8
- Association of an Educational Program in Mindful Communication With Burnout, Empathy, and Attitudes Among Primary Care Physicians JAMA September 22, 2009
- Effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions on the well-being of healthcare workers: a systematic review and meta-analysis. General Psychiatry 2024
- Feasibility and effectiveness of the mindfulness-based stress reduction programs on relieving burnout of healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a pilot randomized controlled trial in China Human Resources for Health November 24, 2024
- Mindfulness Initiatives for Students, Teachers, and Parents: a Review of Literature and Implications for Practice During COVID-19 and Beyond. Contemporary School Psychology January 30, 2023
- The impact of mindfulness practice on physician burnout: A scoping review Frontiers in Psychology September 20, 2022
and 3 more in the library