MBCARE, a mindfulness- and self-compassion-based intervention to decrease burnout and promote self-compassion in health care providers.
Laurent Charvin, Alexis Akinyemi, Jean-Yves Mariette, Claire Mizzi, Thierry Cardoso, Ciaran Grufeille, Clémence Brun, Corinne Isnard Bagnis
BMC Psychology May 19, 2025 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-025-02745-6 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pre-post intervention study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 17 |
| Population | Nurses and doctors at a teaching university hospital in France |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-Based Compassion and Resilience Enhancement (MBCARE) |
| Duration | Four-week intervention, eight three-hour sessions over four days (one day per week) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Health care professionals Patient-centeredness Nurses Doctors Well-being Personal accomplishment Emotional regulation Positive emotions Coping ability Self-compassion Program Intervention Training Professional stress Reduced burnout Reduced stress |
| Citations | 5 |
| Key points | The MBCARE program was associated with reduced emotional exhaustion and increased personal accomplishment among health care professionals. |
Abstract
Mindfulness and compassion training have individually shown significant effects on health care professionals' (HCPs') skills, reducing stress, anxiety, and burnout. This study evaluated the impact of a combined mindfulness and self-compassion intervention on HCPs' wellness. Seventeen nurses and doctors at a teaching university hospital in France volunteered for the Mindfulness-Based Compassion and Resilience Enhancement (MBCARE) program, a four-week mindfulness and self-compassion training delivered in eight three-hour sessions over four days (one day per week), with 100% attendance. We collected primary data (mindfulness skills, burnout scores, self-compassion, and emotional coping via face-reader evaluations) before and after the intervention. MBCARE was associated with reduced burnout, with emotional exhaustion scores decreasing (MΔ = -4.27, t = 1.95, p = .04) and personal accomplishment scores increasing (MΔ = 2.73, z = 2.48, p = .007) among 12 health care professionals. Patient-perceived centeredness of care showed a ceiling effect, with no significant changes. In a socio-affective video task (n = 7), positive affect increased post-training (p < .05), while negative affect remained stable. Time and availability constraints limited participation, but the program was feasible. Professional contextualization may support skill application, potentially improving emotional regulation and self-compassion, though further research is needed to confirm these effects. Implementing mindfulness and compassion training for HCPs faces time and availability constraints but meets their needs. Contextualizing the training to professional settings enhances HCPs' ability to apply new skills, yielding benefits in emotional stability and self-compassion.
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
Cites 11
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- Association of an Educational Program in Mindful Communication With Burnout, Empathy, and Attitudes Among Primary Care Physicians JAMA September 22, 2009
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Health Care Professionals: Results From a Randomized Trial. International Journal of Stress Management May 1, 2005
- Effects of mindful-attention and compassion meditation training on amygdala response to emotional stimuli in an ordinary, non-meditative state Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2012
and 6 more in the library