title: Mindfulness training for medical students in their clinical clerkships: two cross-sectional studies exploring interest and participation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  So far, studies investigating Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training in medical students are conducted in self-selected, pre-clinical samples, with modest response rates without collecting data on non-participants. This study first examines interest and participation rates of students starting their clinical clerkships. Second, it compares students interested in a mindfulness training with non-interested students and students participating in a trial on the effect of MBSR with non-participating students on levels of psychological distress, personality traits, cognitive styles and mindfulness skills.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined two student samples from the Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen: Study 1 From March to December 2010 we performed a cross-sectional pilot-study among 4th year medical students starting their clinical clerkships, assessing interest in a MBSR training. We compared scores on the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Neo Five Factor Inventory and the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire of interested students with those of non-interested students using t-tests with Bonferroni correction. Study 2 From February 2011 to August 2012 we invited 4th year medical students starting their clinical clerkships to participate in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) on the effectiveness of MBSR. We compared scores on the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Irrational Beliefs Inventory and the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire of participating students with those of non-participants using t-tests with Bonferroni correction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Study 1: Ninety-five out of 179 participating students (53%) were interested in a MBSR training. Interested students scored significantly higher on psychological distress (p = .004) and neuroticism (p < .001), than 84 non-interested students. Study 2: Of 232 eligible students, 167 (72%) participated in our RCT. Participants scored significantly higher on psychological distress (p = .001), worrying (p = .002), problem avoidance (p = .005) and lower on mindfulness skills (p = .002) than 41 non-participants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Interest in mindfulness training and response rates in a RCT on the effectiveness of MBSR among clinical clerkship students are equal to (study 1) or higher (study 2) than in studies on pre-clinical students. Interested students and participants in a RCT reported more psychological distress and psychopathology related character traits. Participants scored lower on mindfulness skills.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Center, Postbus 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. inge.vandijk@radboudumc.nl.|Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University Medical Center, Postbus 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. inge.vandijk@radboudumc.nl.
authors.forename: Inge
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: van Dijk
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University Medical Center, Postbus 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. peter.lucassen@radboudumc.nl.
authors.forename: Peter Lbj
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Lucassen
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Center, Postbus 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. anne.speckens@radboudumc.nl.
authors.forename: Anne Em
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Speckens
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D002982:Clinical Clerkship; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D064866:Mindfulness / Q000193:education*; D009042:Motivation; D010551:Personality; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult