Impact of Mindful Awareness Practices in Pediatric Residency Training

This study evaluates the effect of a standardized mindfulness based intervention compared to control on self-reported levels of stress in residency trainees.

Recent research studies have indicated that the practice of mindfulness is strongly correlated with enhanced well-being and improved resilience in a variety of populations. Mindfulness-based interventions have been shown to reduce stress and symptoms of burnout in physicians. However, the two studies that included residents were observational trials evaluating the effect of an abbreviated, informal mindfulness course. The aim of the investigator's study is to assess whether a standardized course in mindfulness meditation (Mindful Awareness Practices, MAPs) reduces self--reported signs and symptoms of stress, burnout, depression, anxiety, loneliness and poor sleep quality in residents in pediatrics training. This study is a randomized controlled trial using 2 parallel groups. The pediatrics residents randomized to the intervention will participate in a standardized mindful awareness practices intervention consisting of one live 45- minute session and 5 web--based self--study sessions. The live session will be administered by a trained mindfulness educator at the UCLA Westwood, Olive View Medical Center and Cedars--Sinai Medical Center campuses. The waitlist group will have the opportunity to participate in the same course once the study has been completed. Participants will respond to questionnaires to assess for levels of stress and other mental health measures before and after the intervention to see if the intervention group had a reduction in symptoms compared to the waitlist group.

Mindful Awareness Practices is a mindfulness-based intervention developed at UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center. It is a weekly 2-hour, 6-session, group-based course in mindfulness meditation that is available in-person or online.

PSS = validated 14-item self-report questionnaire of stress experienced over past month. Scores range from 0-56. Higher scores represent a worse outcome.

Physician-specific self-report questionnaire of symptoms of burnout. The inventory is divided into three subscales: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal accomplishment. Each subscale scores from 0-18. The subscales are reported separately rather than added together for a total score. Higher scores represent a worse outcome, except on the personal accomplishment subscale, where higher scores represent better outcome.

Validated self-report questionnaire of symptoms of depression. Scores range from 0-63. Higher scores represent a worse outcome.

Validated self-report questionnaire of symptoms of anxiety. Scores range from 0-63. Higher scores represent a worse outcome.

Validated self-report questionnaire of frequency of feeling lonely. Scores range from 20-80. Higher scores represent a worse outcome.

Validated self-report questionnaire evaluated sleep quality. Scores range from 0-21. Higher scores represent a worse outcome.

MAAS = validated 15-item self-report questionnaire of tendency to be attentive to and aware of experiences in daily life. Scores range from 15-90. Higher scores represent a better outcome.

Inclusion Criteria: Pediatric resident at the University of California Los Angeles's Mattel Children's Hospital Medicine/Pediatric resident at University of California Los Angeles's Mattel Children's Hospital Exclusion Criteria: -None

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