Heal the Healers

A pilot study evaluating A pilot study evaluating the feasibility, acceptability, and exploratory efficacy of a Transcendental Meditation intervention for emergency clinicians during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic

Abstract

Objective: Emergency clinicians face elevated rates of burnout that result in poor outcomes
for clinicians, patients, and health systems. The objective of this single-arm pilot
study was to evaluate the feasibility of a Transcendental Meditation (TM) intervention
for emergency clinicians during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic
and to explore the potential effectiveness in improving burnout, sleep, and psychological
health.
Methods: Emergency clinicians (physicians, nurses, and physician-assistants) from 2
urban hospitals were recruited to participate in TM instruction (8 individual or group
in-person and remote sessions) for 3 months. Session attendance was the primary feasibility
outcome (prespecified as attending 6/8 sessions), and burnout was the primary
clinical outcome. Participant-reported measures of feasibility and validated measures
of burnout, depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, and stress were collected at baseline
and the 1-month and 3-month follow-ups. Descriptive statistics and linear mixed effects
models were used.
Results: Of the 14 physicians (46%), 7 nurses (22%), and 10 physician-assistants (32%)
who participated, 61% were female (n = 19/32). TM training and at-home meditation
practice was feasible for clinicians as 90.6% (n = 29/32) attended 6/8 training sessions
and 80.6% self-reported meditating at least once a day on average. Participants demonstrated
significant reductions in burnout (P < .05; effect sizes, Cohen’s d = 0.43–0.45)
and in symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, and sleep disturbance (P values < .001;
Cohen’s d = 0.70–0.87).