title: Acute Effects of Online Mind-Body Skills Training on Resilience, Mindfulness, and Empathy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Some studies have begun to show benefits of brief in-person mind-body skills training. We evaluated the effects of 1-hour online elective mind-body skills training for health professionals on mindfulness, resilience, and empathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between May and November, 2014, we described enrollees for the most popular 1-hour modules in a new online mind-body skills training program; compared enrollees' baseline stress and burnout to normative samples; and assessed acute changes in mindfulness, resilience, and empathy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 513 enrollees included dietitians, nurses, physicians, social workers, clinical trainees, and health researchers; about 1/4 were trainees. The most popular modules were the following: Introduction to Stress, Resilience, and the Relaxation Response (n = 261); Autogenic Training (n = 250); Guided Imagery and Hypnosis for Pain, Insomnia, and Changing Habits (n = 112); Introduction to Mindfulness (n = 112); and Mindfulness in Daily Life (n = 102). Initially, most enrollees met threshold criteria for burnout and reported moderate to high stress levels. Completing 1-hour modules was associated with significant acute improvements in stress (P < .001), mindfulness (P < .001), empathy (P = .01), and resilience (P < .01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Online mind-body skills training reaches diverse, stressed health professionals and is associated with acute improvements in stress, mindfulness, empathy, and resilience. Additional research is warranted to compare the long-term cost-effectiveness of different doses of online and in-person mind-body skills training for health professionals.
authors.affiliation: The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA kathi.kemper@osumc.edu.
authors.forename: Kathi J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Kemper
authors.affiliation: Center for Integrative Health and Wellness and The Office of Geriatrics and Gerontology, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khirallah
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004493:Education; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064866:Mindfulness; D009862:Online Systems; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Mind–body; education; empathy; meditation; mindfulness; resilience