Abbreviated Mindfulness Intervention for Job Satisfaction, Quality of Life, and Compassion in Primary Care Clinicians: A Pilot Study

Abstract

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. RESULTSParticipants 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. CONCLUSIONSIn 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. 2013;412-420. doi:10.1370/afm.1511. Ann Fam Med INTRODUCTIONP hysician burnout is a pervasive health care problem characterized by a loss of emotional, mental, and physical energy due to continued job-related stress. Burnout is more common among physicians than among other professionals, with specialties on the front lines such as primary care being at greatest risk.1 Up to 60% of physicians report having experienced burnout at some point in their careers, 2 with as many as 30% to 40% experiencing burnout at any given time.3 Considerable evidence suggests that burnout negatively affects patient care, 4 which poses new challenges with implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Providing insurance to 32 million previously uninsured citizens will increase demand for primary care services. 5 An expanding older adult population, insufficient supply of primary care physicians, low medical student interest in primary care, lower primary care reimbursement, and increasing workload will add further strain to these professionals. 413 A BBR E V IAT ED MIND FUL NES S IN T ERV EN T IoNuation is compounded by physicians' tendency to give subo...

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