Effect of heartfulness meditation on burnout, emotional wellness, and telomere length in health care professionals
J. Thimmapuram, Robert Pargament, Kedesha Sibliss, R. Grim, R. Risques, Erik Toorens
Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives 2017 DOI: 10.1080/20009666.2016.1270806 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study with a control group Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 47 |
| Population | Residents, faculty physicians, and nurses at a large community teaching hospital during the 2015-16 academic year |
| Intervention | Heartfulness Meditation |
| Duration | 12-week intervention |
| Measures | Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Emotional Wellness Assessment (EWA), salivary relative telomere length |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Meditators showed statistically significant improvement in all burnout measures and nearly all emotional wellness attributes after 12 weeks, while controls showed no significant changes. Relative telomere length increased significantly in a younger subset of meditators, a finding the authors say needs further confirmation. |
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Background: Burnout poses significant challenges during training years in residency and later in the career. Meditation is a tool to treat stress-related conditions and promote wellness. Telomere length may be affected by burnout and stress. However, the benefits of meditation have not been fully demonstrated in health care professionals.
Objective: We assessed the effects of a 12-week ‘Heartfulness Meditation’ program on burnout, emotional wellness, and telomere length in residents, faculty members, and nurses at a large community teaching hospital during the 2015–16 academic year.
Methods: All subjects completed a baseline Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and Emotional Wellness Assessment (EWA) at the beginning of the study. Meditators received instructions in Heartfulness Meditation. At week 12, subjects completed a follow up MBI and EWA scores. Salivary telomere length was measured at baseline and week 12.
Results: Twenty-seven out of a total 155 residents (17.4%) along with eight faculty physicians and 12 nurses participated in the study. Thirty-five enrolled as meditators and 12 as controls. At 12 weeks, the meditators had statistically significant improvement in all measures of burnout and in nearly all attributes of EWA. Controls showed no statistically significant changes in either burnout or emotional wellness scores. Relative telomere length increased with statistical significance in a younger subset of meditators.
Conclusion: Our results indicate that meditation offers an accessible and efficient method by which physician and nurse burnout can be ameliorated and wellness can be enhanced. The increased telomere length is an interesting finding but needs to be confirmed with further research. Abbreviations: EWA: Emotional wellness assessment; MBI: Maslach burnout inventory; EE: Emotional exhaustion; DP: Depersonalization; PA: Personal accomplishment; PI: Prinicipal investigator; JT: Jayaram Thimmapuram
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
Cited by 38
- Lessons for the Health-care Practitioner from Buddhism. Indian journal of endocrinology and metabolism 2018
- Heartfulness Meditation: A Yogic and Neuroscientific Perspective Frontiers in Psychology May 10, 2022
- Impact of Heartfulness meditation practice on anxiety, perceived stress, well-being, and telomere length. Frontiers in Psychology 2023
- Implication of asana, pranayama and meditation on telomere stability International Journal of Yoga 2018
- Effect of Heartfulness Meditation Among Long-Term, Short-Term and Non-meditators on Prefrontal Cortex Activity of Brain Using Machine Learning Classification: A Cross-Sectional Study Cureus February 14, 2023
and 33 more in the library
Cites 3
- Association of an Educational Program in Mindful Communication With Burnout, Empathy, and Attitudes Among Primary Care Physicians JAMA September 22, 2009
- Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Psychoneuroendocrinology June 1, 2011
- Loving-Kindness Meditation practice associated with longer telomeres in women. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity August 1, 2013