Reducing stress, strengthening resilience and self-care in medical students through Mind-Body Medicine (MBM).
Benno Brinkhaus, Barbara Stöckigt, Claudia M Witt, Miriam Ortiz, Markus Herrmann, Daniela Adam, Peter Vogelsänger
GMS journal for medical education 2025 DOI: 10.3205/zma001731 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pre-post evaluation with qualitative focus groups Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 186 |
| Population | Medical students at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and University of Magdeburg, plus employees (doctors and nurses) of a Charité intensive care unit |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Mind-body medicine Mbm Holistic health Integrative health Wellness Medical education Medical students Future doctors Healthcare training Student well-being Physician education Stress management Stress reduction Perceived stress Mental health Emotional regulation Coping mechanisms Resilience Self-care Self-compassion Self-efficacy Personal growth Self-reflection Empathy Self-regulation Emotional strength |
| Key findings | Mind-Body Medicine courses were associated with reduced perceived stress and increased self-efficacy, mindfulness, self-reflection, empathy, and self-compassion among medical students. |
Abstract
Stress-related illnesses are on the rise among medical students and doctors in Germany and internationally. Mind-Body Medicine (MBM) methods are increasingly being used to reduce stress. MBM courses are now being offered to students at medical faculties in Germany, including Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and e.g. at the universities of Magdeburg, Witten-Herdecke, Essen and Ulm. The courses offered in Berlin and Magdeburg are presented as examples in this article. In addition, the Charité course was also conducted with employees (doctors and nurses) of a Charité intensive care unit. The student courses at both medical universities were evaluated at the same time. The results of the analyses showed a reduction in perceived stress and an increase in self-efficacy, mindfulness, self-reflection and empathy in 117 Charité students, and an improvement in mindfulness (Freiburg mindfulness inventory (FFA)) and self-compassion (Self Compassion Scale - German Version (SCS-D)) in 69 students from Magdeburg. In the qualitative focus groups, the students at Charité also reported better abilities to self-regulate stressful experiences, personal growth and new insights into integrative medicine. The further implementation of MBM courses at German-speaking medical universities appears to make sense. In addition, MBM courses should be networked across different locations in order to coordinate their content and carry out a joint evaluation using standardised measurement instruments on a larger group of participants. In addition, the implementation of randomised controlled studies to investigate the effectiveness of MBM courses would be beneficial.