Understanding students' motivations for participating in a mindfulness course: a qualitative analysis of medical students' views.
Cloé Brami, Serge Sultan, Léonore Robieux, Marie-Aude Piot, Honorine Gartili, Franck Zenasni
BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies May 20, 2023 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-023-03949-2 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 29 |
| Population | Medical students enrolled in an 8-week MBSR program offered in French |
| Duration | 8-week MBSR program; transcripts from the first session |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Education Integrative medicine Medical students Mental health Soft skills |
| Key findings | Analyses of 29 transcripts identified three themes of motivation for participating in meditation-based education: medical education and the physician's role (improving interpersonal skills, integrative medicine, productivity); caring for one's health (stress reduction, emotion regulation, self-compassion); and a quest for meaning (meaning of care and life). The authors argue these motivations align with evidence on mindfulness effects, while some findings raise concerns about using mindfulness to enhance productivity. |
Abstract
Improving medical students' wellbeing and empowerment through curricular activities is a topic of interest worldwide. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are increasingly implemented in medical education often as part of elective courses. To better understand training outcomes and adjust curriculum to students' needs, we will explore why will medical students participate in meditation-based education? We analyzed 29 transcripts from the first session of an 8-week MBSR program offered to medical students in French. Transcripts were coded and analyzed using a qualitative content thematic analysis and the constant comparison method. Analyses resulted in three themes describing students' motivation: (1) Medical education and the physician's role, i.e. improving interpersonal skills, acquiring skills oriented toward a more integrative medicine, being more productive in a highly competitive context. (2) Caring for my health i.e. aiming at stress reduction, emotion regulation, and improving self-compassion. (3) A quest for meaning, i.e. optimizing meaning of care, and meaning of life. The results highlight the congruence between the perceived motivations and the evidence on the effect of mindfulness on self-care, the development of humanistic medical skills, and the meaning of care. Some findings raise the issue of the limits of using mindfulness to enhance one's productivity. Notably, participants articulated the need for self-care as in mindfulness training, with the ability to care for others.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on meditation, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- Breath-Body-Mind Core Techniques to Manage Medical Student Stress. Journal of medical education and curricular development 2023
- Effects of a Course-Based Yoga Intervention on Perceived Stress and Mindfulness Among Nursing Students: A Quasi-Experimental Mixed-Methods Study Healthcare September 4, 2026
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