Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on medical and premedical students.
The inability to cope successfully with the enormous stress of medical education may lead to a cascade of consequences at both a personal and professional level. The present study examined the short-term effects of an 8-week meditation-based stress reduction intervention on premedical and medical students using a well-controlled statistical design. Findings indicate that participation in the intervention can effectively (1) reduce self-reported state and trait anxiety, (2) reduce reports of overall psychological distress including depression, (3) increase scores on overall empathy levels, and (4) increase scores on a measure of spiritual experiences assessed at termination of intervention. These results (5) replicated in the wait-list control group, (6) held across different experiments, and (7) were observed during the exam period. Future research should address potential long-term effects of mindfulness training for medical and premedical students.
Shapiro
S L
SL
Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson 85719, USA.
Schwartz
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GE
Bonner
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G
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D003710:Demography; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019122:Meditation / Q000379:methods*; D008960:Models, Psychological; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011581:Psychological Tests; D013140:Spiritualism; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000628:therapy*; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*