The impact of a mindful compassion program for medical trainees.
Flora Wong, Nikki Ashtiani, Raphael Cuomo, Anaheed Shirazi, Matthew S Herbert, Gage Chu, Renée Lewis, Desiree Shapiro
BMC Medical Education July 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1186/s12909-025-07439-6 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 22 |
| Population | Medical trainees (medical students and residents) |
| Intervention | mindful self-compassion training |
| Duration | 6-week intervention, follow-up at 6, 12, and 18 weeks |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Connectedness Medical education Medical trainees Self-compassion Program Intervention Overall well-being Enhance well-being Positive impact Trainee well-being Burnout reduction: burnout Reduced stress Address burnout |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key points | The mindful self-compassion training significantly improved mindfulness, interconnectedness, perceived stress, life enjoyment, and compassion but did not significantly change burnout, self-compassion, or emotional intelligence. |
Abstract
Medical training is intellectually, physically, and emotionally challenging. Trainees experience concerning rates of burnout, compassion fatigue, poor mental health outcomes, and reduced overall well-being, which may negatively impact the quality of care for patients. Mindfulness interventions help mitigate stress and reduce burnout, however, limited time, insufficient resources and training, and competing priorities are consistent barriers. A total of 22 medical trainees, comprising 17 medical students and 5 residents, participated in a 6-week mindful self-compassion training. The pilot study aimed to 1) evaluate the effect of the program on mindfulness, self-compassion, life satisfaction, connectedness, emotional intelligence, stress, and burnout among medical trainees; and 2) explore challenges and feasibility of implementing mindfulness programs in medical training. Pre- and post-intervention surveys were implemented at 6, 12, and 18 weeks. Results showed significant improvements in levels of mindfulness, interconnectedness, perceived stress, life enjoyment, and compassion. However, no significant changes in rates of burnout, self-compassion, or emotional intelligence were found at any of the follow-up time points. Findings suggest that accessible interventions can enhance mindfulness and stress management among medical trainees. Additional research is needed to expand the sample size and scale of training.
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 2
Cites 7
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Health Care Professionals: Results From a Randomized Trial. International Journal of Stress Management May 1, 2005
- Improving stress management, anxiety, and mental well-being in medical students through an online Mindfulness-Based Intervention: a randomized study. Scientific Reports May 22, 2023
- Efficacy of a single session mindfulness based intervention: A randomized clinical trial. PLoS One 2024
- The effects of mindfulness-based interventions in medical students: a systematic review. Advances in health sciences education : theory and practice March 2024
- The impact of mindfulness practice on physician burnout: A scoping review Frontiers in Psychology September 20, 2022
and 2 more in the library