Mindfulness training and medical residents: effects on psychological wellbeing and patient care

Stacey, Adam (2018) Mindfulness training and medical residents: effects on psychological wellbeing and patient care. Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

Negative psychological health outcomes for highly stressed medical students, residents, and physicians are well documented in the literature. Interventions for this population may be valuable for residents and their patients alike. Levels of anxiety, stress, and depression have been reduced following mindfulness training in clinical, non-clinical, and medical-resident populations. Additionally, mindfulness training has been linked to increased levels of empathy, subjective well-being, and hope. The current study sought to determine the effectiveness of mindfulness training as an intervention for medical residents (N = 42). The current study’s interest in mindfulness training is three fold. First, is it possible to increase medical residents mindfulness scores through training? Second, what effect does mindfulness training have on residents’ levels of psychological wellbeing? And finally, does mindfulness training affect the level of patient-centred care provided by resident physicians? Before and after an 11 week training program, residents completed a battery of mindfulness and psychological wellness measures which included the Perceived Stress Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, Mindfulness Attention and Awareness Scale, and Symptom Checklist-90-R. Furthermore, residents participated in two encounters (pre- and post-intervention) with standardized patients who evaluated residents’ level of patient-centred care using the Patient Perception of Patient Centeredness. Results indicate no statistically significant differences in residents’ mindfulness scores between those in the control and treatment groups over time. Additionally, residents’ psychological wellbeing scores did not differ in a statistically significant manner between groups over time. However, residents’ psychological wellbeing scores demonstrated a degree of stability which is promising in the context of the literature. Residents in both control and treatment groups showed statistically significant improvements in their delivery of patient centred care when pre- and post-intervention scores were compared which indicates there were no additive benefits of mindfulness training in this regard.

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