Studies on Mindfulness Practices

     A study was facilitated by the Association of American Medical Colleges that recruited 70 primary care physicians in New York who participated in the Mindful Communication study. These physicians went through a 52 hour continuing education course consisting of 8 weekly sessions, a silent retreat, and 1 monthly session. The course incorporated meditation, self-awareness exercises, narratives about meaningful clinical experiences, appreciative interviews, didactic material, and discussions. The interviews administered occurred after the study ended and were used to solicit participants experiences. The interview began with open-ended questions and then based on their responses, they prompted participants to provide additional details. After the interviews, the team identified emerging themes to see patterns and connections in the participant for further research. 

     The findings in the interviews showed three major themes for participants which were professional isolation from colleagues and desire to share their experiences, acquiring skills of attentiveness, listening, honesty, and presence, and taking time for professional and personal development. Over half of the participants stated having increased self-awareness, this led them to be able to respond non-judgmentally during personal and professional conversations and also be more accepting and responsive to others' needs. For other participants, this increased awareness gave them greater appreciation of each moment even in unpleasant or stressful situations. Their experiences with patients after this study was conducted greatly improved and helped them establish greater personal boundaries, prioritize their energy, and focus on what was most important to the patient. 

     The main purposes of this study were to enhance physician's sense of meaning and satisfaction with their work, decrease burnout, improve patient-centered care, and increase their ability to respond creatively to a constantly changing environment. Every participant felt an improvement in their well-being and the care they provide to patients, many also reported feeling greater effectiveness and meaning in their work and at home. This study also helped physicians diminish the feeling of self-isolation because they now feel they can share their experiences in a meaningful way. Participation in this study enabled physicians to make time for self-development and experience greater joy and renewed excitement within their clinical practices. 

     A group of medical education researchers searched through PubMed and PsycINFO that investigated the effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) on doctor well-being or performance. They retrieved 934 articles that included 24 studies that met their criteria of randomized, (un)controlled, or qualitative studies of average quality. The studies that met their criteria included MBIs that adopted a mindfulness approach to train purposeful and non-judgmental attention to present experiences, thoughts, and feelings. The effects of these studies varied depending on the training formats and content, but they mostly showed positive outcomes on the well-being and performance of physicians across different educational and hospital settings. 

     The training content of MBIs were defined by five characteristics which are the integration of mindfulness theory, provision of didactic information on mindfulness, development of self-awareness about thoughts, feelings, and body sensations, promotion of attentive and behavioral self-regulation and positive qualities, and training of meditation practice. The studies used in their research ranged from incorporating all elements of MBIs to only including one characteristic. Some of the studies involved were based on validated mindfulness programs, such as Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Theory or MSBR, that focus on cognitive self regulation and group discussions and activities that apply mindfulness to daily life. Positive effects on performance were found for interpersonal and psychological (stress, worry, relaxation) or occupational (burn-out, dedication) domains. 

     Not all studies with the same content reported the same effects, two studies on MSBR investigated physical effects of mindfulness practice that resulting in finding that for some participants their physical well-being did not improve, but their heart rate and blood pressure did. Self-understanding and the understanding of others became better for the majority of participants in these studies following an MBI along with greater reflection on one's own behaviors when dealing with stress. This enhanced understanding of themselves helped them to change their normal patterns to make more liberate choices and take better care of their well-being. They also benefitted by being more acceptive to other's emotions following these practices and they were more open and curious on feelings present in themselves and they patients they were helping. MBIs made vast improvements in many participants daily work life and the environment they worked in, which also lessens the chances of burn-out.