Effects of Yoga and Mindfulness Programs on Self-Compassion in Medical Professionals during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Intervention Study.
Tomoko Miyoshi, Hiromi Ida, Yoshito Nishimura, Soichiro Ako, Fumio Otsuka
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health September 30, 2022 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191912523 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pre-post observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 13 |
| Population | Healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| Intervention | Yoga and mindfulness program |
| Duration | Weekly one-hour sessions for three months |
| Measures | salivary cortisol, pulse rate, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Maslach Burnout Inventory, Sense of Coherence, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Self-compassion Scale, Jefferson Scale of Empathy |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Hydrocortisone Yoga Empathy Burnout, professional Pandemics Self-compassion Stress The covid-19 pandemic |
| Key findings | Pulse rates fell significantly after individual yoga and mindfulness sessions, but salivary cortisol and scores on depression, burnout, sense of coherence, resilience, overall self-compassion, and empathy did not change significantly. The self-compassion subscale of common humanity increased (5.6 to 6.5) and over-identification decreased (7.9 to 6.7). The authors suggest the program may help improve common humanity and reduce over-identification in healthcare workers. |
Abstract
Stress among healthcare workers (HCWs) increased during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. We aimed to determine whether a yoga and mindfulness program could alleviate burnout and other psychological and physical distress in HCWs, and how this might affect their empathy for patients. A weekly one-hour yoga and mindfulness program was conducted for three months in 2021. Participants were 18 consenting HCWs and, the final analysis included 13 participants. They responded to online questionnaires before and after the program. We measured salivary cortisol levels before and after the program on the first and last days. Self-measured pulse rates (PRs) were taken before and after each session, which decreased significantly in both cases (before, after the first program: 72, 65 bpm, p < 0.05; before, after the last program: 75, 66, p < 0.05), but salivary cortisol levels did not change. No significant changes were observed in Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Maslach Burnout Inventory, Sense of Coherence, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Self-compassion Scale, or Jefferson Scale of Empathy. However, common humanity, a subscale of self-compassion, increased significantly (before the first program: 5.6, after the last program: 6.5, p < 0.05), and over-identification decreased significantly (7.9, 6.7, p < 0.01). Yoga and mindfulness programs may help improve the sense of common humanity and reduce over-identification in HCWs.
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 3
- Mindfulness-based interventions for improving mental health of frontline healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review. Systematic Reviews June 20, 2024
- A pilot study on the effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction combined with yoga on psychological well-being and self-related outcomes in university students ROL Spor Bilimleri Dergisi January 28, 2026
- Mindfulness meditation as a tool for enhancing recovery and reducing burnout in elite tennis players. Frontiers in Psychology October 23, 2025
Cites 4
- Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Psychosomatic Medicine July 1, 2003
- Association of an Educational Program in Mindful Communication With Burnout, Empathy, and Attitudes Among Primary Care Physicians JAMA September 22, 2009
- Mindfulness, Compassion, and Self-Compassion Among Health Care Professionals: What's New? A Systematic Review Frontiers in Psychology July 31, 2020
- A pilot study and randomized controlled trial of the mindful self-compassion program. Journal of Clinical Psychology October 15, 2012