Mind-Body Skills Group for Graduate Students

Integrative-Mind-Body Skills Group (I-MBS-G) is an 8-week group that teaches skills to build inner resources for effective mood management. This group incorporates a holistic approach to wellness through meditation and mindfulness practices, guided imagery, breath and body awareness, and relaxation techniques. Mind-body approaches have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing stress mood symptoms and improving quality of life. The study hypothesis is that the Mind-Body Skills taught in the group will reduce mood symptoms in graduate and medical students.

Study Design: This study will identify medical graduate students interested in participating in an Integrative-Mind-Body Skills Group (I-MBS-G) to strengthen inner resources to effectively navigate complex and stressful daily events to promote mental and physical health and well-being. This study is a pilot randomized controlled trial; participants will be randomized to the intervention or control group. The control group will receive Treatment-As-Usual (TAU) and mind-body skills reading materials. Primary Objective: Assess the feasibility and acceptability of an I-MBS-G intervention for medical graduate students using the MBSG Feedback Program Questionnaire. Secondary Objectives: Assess preliminary effectiveness of I-MBS-G on anxiety symptoms (i.e., improvements on anxiety symptoms) Exploratory Objectives: Assess preliminary effectiveness of I-MBS-G on depression symptoms (i.e., improvements on depression symptoms)

Integrative-Mind-Body Skills Group (I-MBS-G) is an 8-week group that teaches skills to build inner resources for effective mood management. This group incorporates a holistic approach to wellness through meditation and mindfulness practices, guided imagery, breath and body awareness, relaxation techniques, self-reflection, and mindfulness-based cognitive-behavioral skills. Mind-body approaches have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing stress mood symptoms and improving quality of life.

The Integrative-Mind-Body Skills Group program evaluation measures the acceptability of the Integrative-Mind-Body Skills Group Program.

The Integrative-Mind-Body Skills Group program evaluation is a quantitative self-report survey assessing the acceptability of the Integrative-Mind-Body Skills Group measured at Week 9. The Integrative-Mind-Body Skills Group evaluation uses three items measured on a 5-point Likert scale and one item measured on a 3-point Likert scale. Score range: 4- 18; acceptability = a sum score of 14 or greater; unacceptability = a sum score of 4.

The Integrative-Mind-Body Skills Group program evaluation measures the feasibility of the Integrative-Mind-Body Skills Group Program.

The Integrative-Mind-Body Skills Group program evaluation is a quantitative self-report survey assessing the feasibility of the Integrative-Mind-Body Skills Group measured at Week 9. To evaluate the feasibility of the Integrative-Mind-Body Skills Group, the number of sessions attended is measured by one item. There are eight sessions in the program. Score range: 1- 8; feasibility = score of 5 sessions or greater.

Change from Baseline (week 0) in Anxiety symptoms as measured in the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) at Weeks 9 and 13.

The Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale is a validated, self-report instrument assessing the severity of anxiety symptoms across the previous two weeks. Score range: 0-21; minimal anxiety 0-4; mild anxiety 5-9; moderate 10-14; Moderately severe depression 15-10; Severe anxiety - a score greater than 15. Change = (Week 13 score - Week 0 score). Change = (Week 9 score - Week 0 score).

Change from Baseline (week 0) in Depressive symptoms as measured on the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) at Weeks 9 and 13.

The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) is a validated, self-report instrument assessing the severity of depressive symptoms across the previous two weeks. Score range: 0-27; minimal depression 0-4; mild depression 5-9; moderate depression 10-14; Moderately severe depression 15-10; Severe depression 20-27. Change = (Week 13 score - Week 0 score). Change = (Week 9 score - Week 0 score).

Inclusion Criteria: Students screened and admitted to the Student Mental Health Program. Age 18 or older A score of ≥ 4 on the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7) Able to attend weekly meeting times Exclusion Criteria: Active SI Current mania Active psychosis

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