Abbreviated mindfulness intervention for job satisfaction, quality of life, and compassion in primary care clinicians: a pilot study.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to investigate whether an abbreviated mindfulness intervention could improve job satisfaction, quality of life, and compassion among primary care clinicians.
Results Summary
Participants showed significant improvements in burnout, depression, anxiety, and stress at 9 months post-intervention, but no significant changes in resilience or compassion scores.
Population
30 primary care clinicians
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Abbreviated mindfulness course (exact duration not specified)
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
abbreviated mindfulness intervention | increase | job satisfaction | primary care clinicians | - | could increase | #1 |
abbreviated mindfulness intervention | increase | quality of life | primary care clinicians | - | could increase | #2 |
abbreviated mindfulness intervention | increase | compassion | primary care clinicians | - | could increase | #3 |
abbreviated mindfulness course | increase | outcome measures | primary care clinicians | - | had improvements | #4 |
abbreviated mindfulness course | decrease | Emotional Exhaustion | primary care clinicians | - | had significantly better scores | #5 |
abbreviated mindfulness course | decrease | Depersonalization | primary care clinicians | - | had significantly better scores | #6 |
abbreviated mindfulness course | increase | Personal Accomplishment | primary care clinicians | - | had significantly better scores | #7 |
abbreviated mindfulness course | decrease | Depression | primary care clinicians | - | had significantly better scores | #8 |
abbreviated mindfulness course | decrease | Anxiety | primary care clinicians | - | had significantly better scores | #9 |
abbreviated mindfulness course | decrease | Stress | primary care clinicians | - | had significantly better scores | #10 |
abbreviated mindfulness course | decrease | perceived stress | primary care clinicians | - | had significantly better scores | #11 |
abbreviated mindfulness course | no change | 14-item Resilience Scale | primary care clinicians | - | no significant changes | #12 |
abbreviated mindfulness course | no change | Santa Clara Brief Compassion Scale | primary care clinicians | - | no significant changes | #13 |
abbreviated mindfulness training course | decrease | indicators of job burnout | primary care clinicians | - | was associated with reductions | #14 |
abbreviated mindfulness training course | decrease | depression | primary care clinicians | - | was associated with reductions | #15 |
abbreviated mindfulness training course | decrease | anxiety | primary care clinicians | - | was associated with reductions | #16 |
abbreviated mindfulness training course | decrease | stress | primary care clinicians | - | was associated with reductions | #17 |
PURPOSE: Burnout, attrition, and low work satisfaction of primary care physicians are growing concerns and can have a negative influence on health care. Interventions for clinicians that improve work-life balance are few and poorly understood. We undertook this study as a first step in investigating whether an abbreviated mindfulness intervention could increase job satisfaction, quality of life, and compassion among primary care clinicians. METHODS: A total of 30 primary care clinicians participated in an abbreviated mindfulness course. We used a single-sample, pre-post design. At 4 points in time (baseline, and 1 day, 8 weeks, and 9 months postintervention), participants completed a set of online measures assessing burnout, anxiety, stress, resilience, and compassion. We used a linear mixed-effects model analysis to assess changes in outcome measures. RESULTS: Participants had improvements compared with baseline at all 3 follow-up time points. At 9 months postintervention, they had significantly better scores (1) on all Maslach Burnout Inventory burnout subscales-Emotional Exhaustion (P =.009), Depersonalization (P = .005), and Personal Accomplishment (P <.001); (2) on the Depression (P =.001), Anxiety (P =.006), and Stress (P = .002) subscales of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21; and (3) for perceived stress (P = .002) assessed with the Perceived Stress Scale. There were no significant changes on the 14-item Resilience Scale and the Santa Clara Brief Compassion Scale. CONCLUSIONS: In this uncontrolled pilot study, participating in an abbreviated mindfulness training course adapted for primary care clinicians was associated with reductions in indicators of job burnout, depression, anxiety, and stress. Modified mindfulness training may be a time-efficient tool to help support clinician health and well-being, which may have implications for patient care.