title: Teaching mindfulness to occupational therapy students: pilot evaluation of an online curriculum.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  How mindfulness can be learned by occupational therapy students to manage their own self-care processes has not been fully examined as yet.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This article describes an online curriculum approach for teaching a general introductory mindfulness course and examines outcomes with master's entry-level occupational therapy students.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen students participated in an 8-week online mindfulness curriculum and completed a pre- and post-training survey. The Mindfulness Attention and Awareness Scale (MAAS) was used to measure mindfulness. Demographic, MAAS-scored mindfulness, and clinical utility data were collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results showed a statistically significant change (t = -4.82, p = 0.002) in MAAS mindfulness scores from the program start to end. Informal practice exercises and guided meditations were perceived by participants as being more helpful ways for developing an understanding and approach to mindfulness than were readings about mindfulness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that mindfulness can be taught using an online approach.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto, 160-500 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G IV7, Canada. d.reid@utoronto.ca
authors.forename: Denise T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Reid
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention; D001364:Awareness; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000592:standards*; D003479:Curriculum / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019122:Meditation; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000193:education*; D010865:Pilot Projects