Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39438861›Full record

Trial reportBMC medical education2024

The Western Australian medical schools mindfulness project: a randomised controlled trial.

S Moore, N Mavaddat, K Auret, C Hassed, R Chambers, C Sinclair, H Wilcox, H Ngo

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC medical education, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Trial
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

S MooreRural Clinical School of WA, University of Western Australia, Busselton, Australia. sarah.j.moore@rcswa.edu.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4182-0043
N MavaddatMedical School, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
K AuretRural Clinical School of WA, University of Western Australia, Albany, Australia.
C HassedMonash Centre for Consciousness and Contemplative Studies, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
R ChambersMonash Centre for Consciousness and Contemplative Studies, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
C SinclairSchool of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
H WilcoxMedical School, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
H NgoRural Clinical School of WA, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEvidence for the longer-term benefits of online mindfulness training for medical students, including in the reduction of stress and improved wellbeing, is limited. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a novel online mindfulness training program on trait mindfulness, wellbeing and study engagement of medical students at program completion and 6-month follow-up.

methodsThis was a randomised waitlist control study of an 8-week, online, mindfulness-based intervention versus normal curriculum alone for medical students (N = 114). The primary outcome measures were the changes from baseline to program completion at Week 8 for self-reported trait mindfulness (Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory), perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale), self-compassion (Self-Compassion Scale) and study engagement scores (Utrecht Work Engagement Scale for Students). The secondary outcome measures were these score changes from baseline to 6-month follow up. Intervention and control students completed surveys at all three time points. Program adherence (Mindfulness Adherence Questionnaire) was also measured in the intervention group.

resultsThe intervention group experienced modest but statistically significant improvements in mindfulness (9%, p = 0.0002), self-compassion (5%, p = 0.026), and study engagement (4%, p = 0.035) from baseline to Week 8. They also reported a sustained improvement of 5% (p = 0.017) in mindfulness scores at 6 months. The control group reported no significant changes at Week 8 or 6 Months. Between-group comparisons showed that compared to the control group, the intervention group improved significantly more in mindfulness (p = 0.0076), and statistically marginally more in study engagement (p = 0.0534) at Week 8. No statistically significant between-group differences were observed at 6 months.

conclusionsThese results add to the small but growing body of evidence suggesting that online mindfulness-based interventions with minimal contact can improve, albeit in modest magnitude, mindfulness and possibly study engagement in medical students for the duration of a mindfulness program. Further refinements to the program may be important to maintain improvements in the longer-term.

trial registrationRegistration number ACTRN12624000783527.

Indexed as

MindfulnessStudents, MedicalAdultCurriculumEducation, Medical, UndergraduateEmpathyFemaleHumansMaleSchools, MedicalStress, PsychologicalWestern AustraliaYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID39438861
PMCPMC11495070

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.