Embodied health: the effects of a mind-body course for medical students.
Allison R Bond, Heather F Mason, Chelsey M Lemaster, Stephanie E Shaw, Caroline S Mullin, Emily A Holick, Robert B Saper
Medical education online April 30, 2013 DOI: 10.3402/meo.v18i0.20699 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pre-post survey study with qualitative essay analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 27 |
| Population | First- and second-year medical students |
| Interventions | Yoga Meditation Neuroscience didactics |
| Duration | 11-week course |
| Measures | Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy, Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale, Self-Regulation Questionnaire, Self-Compassion Scale |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Yoga Stress, psychological Empathy Self efficacy Education, medical, undergraduate Students, medical Self-regulation Integrative medicine Complementary medicine Perceived stress Well-being Self-compassion |
| Key findings | The 11-week Embodied Health course was associated with significant increases in self-regulation (0.13 points) and self-compassion (0.28 points), while changes in empathy (up 0.11) and perceived stress (down 0.05) were not statistically significant. Student essays described reconnection of mind and body, community, increased mindfulness, confidence in using mind-body skills with patients, and stress management. |
Abstract
Objective: An effective career in medicine requires empathy and compassion, yet the demands of a medical education increase stress and decrease students' ability to connect with patients. However, research suggests mind-body practices improve psychological well-being. This study aimed to evaluate the psychological effects on medical students of an 11-week elective course, Embodied Health or EH, which combines yoga and meditation with neuroscience didactics.
Methods: The effects on 27 first- and second-year medical students were evaluated via surveys in four areas: empathy, perceived stress, self-regulation, and self-compassion. Scales used were 1. Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy, which measures empathy among health students and professionals and medical students on a scale of 1 (least empathetic) to 7 (most empathetic); 2. Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale, a measure of the perceived uncontrollability of respondents' lives, from 0 (least stressed) to 4 (most stressed); 3. Self-Regulation Questionnaire, which measures the development and maintenance of planned behavior to achieve goals, from 1 (least self-regulated) to 5 (most self-regulated); and 4. Self-Compassion Scale, which measures self-criticism, from 1 (least self-compassionate) to 5 (most self-compassionate). Students also reflected on EH's impact on their well-being in a post-course essay.
Results: Self-regulation and self-compassion rose 0.13 (SD 0.20, p=0.003) and 0.28 (SD 0.61, p=0.04), respectively. Favorable changes were also seen in empathy and perceived stress, which went up by 0.11 (SD 0.50, p=0.30) and down by 0.05 (SD 0.62, p=0.70), respectively; these changes did not reach statistical significance. Students' essays were found to discuss the following recurrent themes: 1) Reconnection between mind and body; 2) Community in a competitive environment; 3) Increased mindfulness; 4) Confidence in use of mind-body skills with patients; and 5) Stress management. These themes overlapped with the measures EH affected quantitatively.
Conclusion: A mind-body course for medical students increased self-regulation and self-compassion. Qualitative themes discussed in students' post-course essays reflected these effects.
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
Cited by 19
- The impact of mindfulness on well-being and performance in the workplace: an inclusive systematic review of the empirical literature European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology April 19, 2017
- Mindfulness interventions in medical education: A systematic review of their impact on medical student stress, depression, fatigue and burnout Medical Teacher November 7, 2017
- Lessons for the Health-care Practitioner from Buddhism. Indian journal of endocrinology and metabolism 2018
- The effect of mindfulness interventions on stress in medical students: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One 2023
- The psychosomatic impact of Yoga in medical education: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Medical education online December 31, 2024
and 14 more in the library
Cites 7
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine May 1, 2009
- Association of an Educational Program in Mindful Communication With Burnout, Empathy, and Attitudes Among Primary Care Physicians JAMA September 22, 2009
- Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences October 11, 2007
- Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. Emotion October 1, 2008
- Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Stress and Health March 15, 2010
and 2 more in the library