Abstract:

Work is a major source of stress, and for health care providers this can be experienced as burnout. Although worksite wellness programs are becoming more prevalent, the stress management offered differs considerably in content and context. Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn has directed a mindfulness-based stress reduction program at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center that has been successful with individuals referred with specific symptoms. It utilizes a transpersonal approach that is based on the centuries-old teachings of mindfulness. This study developed and delivered a stress reduction program for eleven hospital employees that was modeled on the Stress Reduction Clinic at UMMC. The eight-week, twenty-hour program in the hospital Wellness Center emphasized the formal practice of mindfulness through breath awareness, the body scan, sitting meditation, and yoga; the informal cultivation of mindfulness in daily life; and the application of mindfulness to stress reduction. Participants were asked to practice mindfulness both formally at least forty-five minutes a day and informally at home and at work, keeping a journal of their practice and process. Pre- and post-program measurements were: the Symptom Checklist-90-R, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Work-Related Strain Inventory, and a mindfulness inventory that was developed for this study. Statistically significant improvements were obtained in the three global indices and six of the nine symptom dimensions of the Symptom Checklist-90-R, the Depersonalization subscale of the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Work-Related Strain Inventory, and the Mindfulness Inventory. Qualitative outcomes included improved work habits, a greater sense of mastery with an ability to let go of what is beyond personal control, and increased appreciation for, and enjoyment of, life. A mindfulness-based stress reduction program---a program with a transpersonal approach---appears to be effective for hospital employees.