Brief Online Focused Attention Meditation Training: Immediate Impact
K. Kemper, N. Rao
Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine July 1, 2017 DOI: 10.1177/2156587216663565 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational pre-post study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 379 |
| Population | Health professionals, including nurses (31%), physicians (21%), social workers and psychologists (10%), and others (38%) |
| Intervention | Online focused attention meditation training |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Completing an online focused attention meditation training was associated with small but significant improvements in relaxation, resilience, stress, positive and negative affect, and flourishing (P < .01 for all). Baseline stress was high (mean 16.7 versus population norms of 12-14). The authors conclude that the program reaches diverse health professionals and that further research is warranted on long-term cost-effectiveness and effects on burnout and quality of care. |
Abstract
Background. There is increasing interest in brief, online training in mind-body skills to improve resilience in health professionals. Methods. We analyzed data from an online training program in focused attention meditation. Resilience, relaxation, stress, positive and negative affect, and flourishing were measured before and after training using standardized scales. Results. The 379 participants included nurses (31%), physicians (21%), social workers and psychologists (10%), and others (38%). At baseline, participants reported high levels of stress (mean 16.7 compared with population norms of 12-14). Completing modules was associated with small but significant improvements in relaxation, resilience, stress, positive and negative affect, and flourishing (P <. 01 for all) Conclusion. Online focused attention meditation training reaches diverse health professionals and is associated with improvements in relaxation, resilience, stress, affect, and flourishing. Additional research is warranted to compare the long-term cost-effectiveness of different amounts and types of mind-body training on clinician burnout and quality of care.
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 5
- Effectiveness of Daily Mindfulness Meditation App Usage to Reduce Anxiety and Improve Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Cureus July 1, 2023
- Doing what matters in times of stress: No-nonsense meditation and occupational well-being in COVID-19. PLoS One 2023
- Vocal Chanting and Relaxation Provide Psychosocial Benefits for Individuals Living with Self-Reported Breathing Difficulties Music & Science September 1, 2025
- Mindfulness, Compassion, and Self-Compassion Among Health Care Professionals: What's New? A Systematic Review Frontiers in Psychology July 31, 2020
- Mind-Body Skills Training for Resident Wellness: A Pilot Study of a Brief Mindfulness Intervention. Journal of medical education and curricular development 2018
Cites 5
- Online Training in Specific Meditation Practices Improves Gratitude, Well-Being, Self-Compassion, and Confidence in Providing Compassionate Care Among Health Professionals. Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine April 1, 2017
- Brief Video-Module Administered Mindfulness Program for Physicians: A Pilot Study. Explore 2016
- Nurses' experiences, expectations, and preferences for mind-body practices to reduce stress. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine April 11, 2011
- Mindfulness meditation improves cognition: evidence of brief mental training. Consciousness and Cognition April 3, 2010
- The effects of brief mindfulness meditation training on experimentally induced pain. Journal of Pain March 2010