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Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on Medical and Premedical Students
Journal of Behavioral Medicine
Short Title: J Behav Med
Format: Journal Article
Publication Date: 1998/12/01/
Pages: 581 - 599
Sources ID: 109121
Visibility: Public (group default)
Abstract: (Show)
The inability to cope successfully with the enormous stress of medical education may lead to a cascade of consequences at both a personal and professional level. The present study examined the short-term effects of an 8-week meditation-based stress reduction intervention on premedical and medical students using a well-controlled statistical design. Findings indicate that participation in the intervention can effectively (1) reduce self-reported state and trait anxiety, (2) reduce reports of overall psychological distress including depression, (3) increase scores on overall empathy levels, and (4) increase scores on a measure of spiritual experiences assessed at termination of intervention. These results (5) replicated in the wait-list control group, (6) held across different experiments, and (7) were observed during the exam period. Future research should address potential long-term effects of mindfulness training for medical and premedical students.