Mindfulness Among Genetic Counselors Is Associated with Increased Empathy and Work Engagement and Decreased Burnout and Compassion Fatigue.
Julia Silver, Colleen Caleshu, Sylvie Casson-Parkin, Kelly Ormond
Journal of Genetic Counseling September 2018 DOI: 10.1007/s10897-018-0236-6 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 441 |
| Population | Genetic counselors involved in direct patient care |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Burnout Compassion fatigue Empathy Genetic counseling Genetic counselors Retention Work engagement |
| Key findings | Mindfulness was negatively correlated with burnout (r = -0.50) and compassion fatigue (r = -0.48), and positively correlated with work engagement (r = 0.24) and empathy subscales including perspective taking (r = 0.15) and empathic concern (r = 0.11). The authors propose that mindfulness training may benefit genetic counselors' professional morale, well-being, and retention. |
Abstract
Genetic counselors experience high rates of compassion fatigue and an elevated risk for burnout, both of which can negatively impact patient care and retention in the profession. In other healthcare professions, mindfulness training has been successfully used to address similar negative psychological sequelae and to bolster empathy, which is the foundation of our counseling work. We aimed to assess associations between mindfulness and key professional variables, including burnout, compassion fatigue, work engagement, and empathy. Data were collected via an anonymous, online survey that included validated measures of mindfulness and these key professional variables. The survey was completed by 441 genetic counselors involved in direct patient care. Half of the respondents (50.1%) reported engaging in yoga, meditation, and/or breathing exercises. Mindfulness was positively correlated with work engagement (r = 0.24, p < 0.001) and empathy (as measured through four subscales: perspective taking (r = 0.15, p = 0.002), empathic concern (r = 0.11, p = 0.03), fantasy (r = - 0.11, p = 0.03) and personal distress (r = - 0.15, p = 0.001)). Mindfulness was negatively correlated with compassion fatigue (r = - 0.48, p < 0.001) and burnout (r = - 0.50, p < 0.001). Given these findings, mindfulness training may be a valuable addition to graduate and continuing education for genetic counselors. The integration of mindfulness into the genetic counseling field will likely improve professional morale and well-being, while promoting workforce retention and bolstering the relational and counseling aspects of our clinical work.
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 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- "Empathy on Trial: Is Empathy Inherently Biased?" Buddhist-Christian Studies 2020
- The Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on Burnout in Clinical Genetic Counselors: A Three-Arm Randomized Controlled Trial. medRxiv January 16, 2026
- Building a foundation in self‐awareness: Genetic counseling students’ experiences with self‐care, reflection, and mindfulness Journal of Genetic Counseling December 2, 2021
- Mindfulness, Compassion, and Self-Compassion Among Health Care Professionals: What's New? A Systematic Review Frontiers in Psychology July 31, 2020
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- 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
- What defines mindfulness-based programs? The warp and the weft Psychological Medicine December 29, 2016
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