Controlled clinical trial comparing the effectiveness of a mindfulness and self-compassion 4-session programme versus an 8-session programme to reduce work stress and burnout in family and community medicine physicians and nurses: MINDUUDD study protocol.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a 4-session mindfulness and self-compassion program versus an 8-session standard program in reducing work stress and burnout among Family and Community Medicine and Nursing tutors and residents.
Results Summary
The study compared two mindfulness intervention durations (4 vs. 8 sessions) and a control group, measuring outcomes like stress, burnout, empathy, and anxiety-depression. Results were pending at the time of the abstract, but the study hypothesized that the abbreviated program could be as effective as the standard one, making it more feasible for implementation.
Population
Family and Community Medicine and Nursing tutors and residents.
Effective Dosage
EG8: 8 weekly sessions of 2.5 hours each with 30 minutes/day home practice; EG4: 4 sessions of 2.5 hours each with 15 minutes/day home practice.
Duration
8 weeks for EG8, 4 weeks for EG4.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
mindfulness and self-compassion 4-session programme | decrease | work stress and burnout | Family and Community Medicine and Nursing tutors and residents | - | reduce | #1 |
mindfulness and self-compassion 8-session programme | decrease | work stress and burnout | Family and Community Medicine and Nursing tutors and residents | - | reduce | #2 |
BACKGROUND: Health personnel are susceptible to high levels of work stress and burnout due to the psychological and emotional demands of their work, as well as to other aspects related to the organisation of that work. This paper describes the rationale and design of the MINDUUDD study, the aim of which is to evaluate the effectiveness of a mindfulness and self-compassion 4-session programme versus the standard 8-session programme to reduce work stress and burnout in Family and Community Medicine and Nursing tutors and residents. METHODS: The MINDUDD study is a multicentre cluster randomised controlled trial with three parallel arms. Six Teaching Units will be randomised to one of the three study groups: 1) Experimental Group-8 (EG8); 2) Experimental Group-4 (EG4) Control group (CG). At least 132 subjects will participate (66 tutors/66 residents), 44 in the EG8, 44 in the EG4, and 44 in the CG. Interventions will be based on the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, including some self-compassion practices of the Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) programme. The EG8 intervention will be implemented during 8 weekly face-to-face sessions of 2.5 h each, while the EG4 intervention will consist of 4 sessions of 2.5 h each. The participants will have to practice at home for 30 min/day in the EG8 and 15 min/day in the EG4. The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ), Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE), and Goldberg Anxiety-Depression Scale (GADS) will be administered. Measurements will be taken at baseline, at the end of the programs, and at three months after completion. The effect of the interventions will be evaluated by bivariate and multivariate analyses (Multiple Linear Regression). DISCUSSION: If the abbreviated mindfulness programme is at least as effective as the standard program, its incorporation into the curriculum and training plans will be easier and more appropriate. It will also be more easily applied and accepted by primary care professionals because of the reduced resources and means required for its implementation, and it may also extend beyond care settings to academic and teaching environments as well. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT03629457 ; date of registration: 13.08.2018).