A five-day Mindfulness Based Intervention to reduce burnout and psychological distress in UK Medical Students
- 1Swansea University College of Medicine: Swansea University Medical School
Abstract
Background Medical professionals face significant work overload, with excessive job demands often strongly associated with attrition and burnout. Consequences of burnout include reduced job satisfaction, absenteeism, reduced patient care, lower patient satisfaction and increased healthcare costs. UK Medical students are also at high risk of burnout. Mindfulness-based interventions are effective individual-level treatments, however more research is required to investigate the efficacy of mindfulness for healthcare professionals and students. Method Four cohorts of second-year medical students at Cardiff University participated in a five-day, in-person mindfulness-based intervention. Pre (T1) and post (T2) intervention and follow-up (T3) survey data were collected online using validated outcome measures for burnout, psychological distress and wellbeing. Results Statistical analysis of data from 69 participants found a statistically significant improvement post intervention (T2) for current energy, calmness, focus and stress (all P=0.001). Statistically significant improvements in psychological distress (Core-10, P=0.001), Burnout (OLBI, P=0.023), and Wellbeing (WHO5, P=0.37) with small, large and small effect sizes respectively; maintained at follow-up (T3). Satisfaction ratings were consistently high, and completion rate was 100%. Discussion Medical schools should consider implementing mindfulness-based interventions into medical curricula, as a feasible and acceptable student selected preventative tool to address burnout and incorporate student perspectives on delivery; to prevent mental ill health in medical professionals.
Related
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BibTeX
@misc{cromie2026fiveday,
title = {{A five-day Mindfulness Based Intervention to reduce burnout and psychological distress in UK Medical Students}},
author = {A. Cromie and M. Kaur and N. Powell and M. Brown},
howpublished = {medRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.64898/2026.11.03.26367152},
url = {https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.11.03.26367152v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - A five-day Mindfulness Based Intervention to reduce burnout and psychological distress in UK Medical Students
AU - A. Cromie
AU - M. Kaur
AU - N. Powell
AU - M. Brown
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/03
PB - medRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.11.03.26367152
UR - https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.11.03.26367152v1
AB - Background Medical professionals face significant work overload, with excessive job demands often strongly associated with attrition and burnout. Consequences of burnout include reduced job satisfaction, absenteeism, reduced patient care, lower patient satisfaction and increased healthcare costs. UK Medical students are also at high risk of burnout. Mindfulness-based interventions are effective individual-level treatments, however more research is required to investigate the efficacy of mindfulness for healthcare professionals and students. Method Four cohorts of second-year medical students at Cardiff University participated in a five-day, in-person mindfulness-based intervention. Pre (T1) and post (T2) intervention and follow-up (T3) survey data were collected online using validated outcome measures for burnout, psychological distress and wellbeing. Results Statistical analysis of data from 69 participants found a statistically significant improvement post intervention (T2) for current energy, calmness, focus and stress (all P=0.001). Statistically significant improvements in psychological distress (Core-10, P=0.001), Burnout (OLBI, P=0.023), and Wellbeing (WHO5, P=0.37) with small, large and small effect sizes respectively; maintained at follow-up (T3). Satisfaction ratings were consistently high, and completion rate was 100%. Discussion Medical schools should consider implementing mindfulness-based interventions into medical curricula, as a feasible and acceptable student selected preventative tool to address burnout and incorporate student perspectives on delivery; to prevent mental ill health in medical professionals.
ER -