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Leveraging Mindfulness to Reduce Stress and Improve Quality of Life Among Pharmacy Students

Brianna M. McQuade, Yoon Soo Park, Jennie Broders Jarrett, Janet M. Riddle

American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education May 9, 2023 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpe.2023.100096 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Longitudinal case-control survey-based study Peer reviewed
Population Pharmacy students
Intervention Mindfulness elective
Duration Longitudinal elective; assessed four weeks after course completion
Measures Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), SF-12 v2 Health-Related QoL Scale (SF-12 v2 QoL)
Topics Meditation
Citations 6
Key findings Four weeks after completing a credit-bearing mindfulness elective, pharmacy student participants had lower perceived stress and higher mental health quality of life than nonparticipant controls, with small to moderate effect sizes (d = 0.36 and d = 0.55), but lower physical health quality of life (d = 0.41). The authors indicate the elective may support student wellness and could be extrapolated to other institutions.

Abstract

Objective: Methods to improve stress and well-being for health profession trainees are limited. Mindfulness, elevating awareness to the present moment experience with compassion, has been shown to demonstrate effectiveness to enhance well-being. This research leverages techniques from mindfulness to develop and evaluate a credit-bearing longitudinal mindfulness elective, designed to teach mindfulness to improve stress and quality of life (QoL).

Methods: A mindfulness elective was created for pharmacy students. A longitudinal, case-control, survey-based design was used to compare stress and QoL between mindfulness participants and nonparticipant controls. Stress was assessed by the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and QoL by the SF-12 v2 Health-Related QoL Scale (SF-12 v2 QoL).

Results: Four weeks after course completion, the average PSS score was lower among participants compared to controls (18.58 SD 5.85 vs 20.79 SD 6.31, Cohen's d = 0.36). The Mental Health Component score of SF-12 v2 QoL was higher among participants versus controls (41.94 SD 8.58 vs 36.93 SD 9.59, Cohen's d = 0.55). The Physical Health Component score of SF-12 v2 QoL was lower among participants than the control group (46.13 SD 5.48 vs 48.62 SD 6.53, Cohen's d = 0.41).

Conclusion: The results indicate small to moderate effect sizes associated with participation in a mindfulness elective, reducing stress and improving mental QoL among pharmacy students. The structure and potential benefits of the course can be extrapolated to other institutions. By offering course credit for mindfulness practice, health profession schools can support student wellness.

Comparable studies

Other cross-sectional and survey studies on meditation, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups 2008 Cross-sectional study
Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Adult participants 2007 Observational cross-sectional n = 27
Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). School-aged children and adolescents 2011 Cross-sectional validation study n = 1,413
Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators 2012 Cross-sectional study n = 152
Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Undergraduates 2008 Cross-sectional, correlational

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