This article describes the experiences of occupational therapy students over the course of three mindfulness programmes, designed to support them in managing stress in their personal and professional lives.
Method:
Hermeneutic phenomenology was used to explore the experiences and perceptions of 20 students undertaking these introductory programmes of mindfulness. Data were collected through interviews, questionnaires and emails.
Findings:
Five themes are presented to demonstrate the effects of mindfulness on students' personal lives, academic work and practice placements. Obstacles to mindfulness practice were found, alongside evidence of benefits in enhanced self-awareness and insight into habitual thought patterns. Techniques for managing stressful situations were used successfully.
Conclusion:
Implications arising from the study are discussed, including the potential for the future inclusion of mindfulness training within the occupational therapy curriculum.
AlidinaS (2010) Mindfulness for dummies. Chichester: Wiley.
2.
BaerRA (2003) Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 125–43.
3.
Cohen-KatzJWileySDCapuanoTBakerDMKimmelSShapiroS (2005) The effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on nurse stress and burnout, part II: A quantitative and qualitative study. Holistic Nursing Practice, 19(1), 26–35.
4.
CollardPAvnyNBoniwellyI (2008) Teaching mindfulness based cognitive therapy (MBCT) to students: The effects of MBCT on the levels of mindfulness and subjective well-being. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 21(4), 323–36.
5.
CraikC (1988) Stress in occupational therapy: How to cope. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 51(2), 40–43.
6.
CraneRSKuykenWHastingsRPRothwellNWilliamsJMG (2010) Training teachers to deliver mindfulness-based interventions: Learning from the UK experience. Mindfulness, 1(2), 74–86.
7.
CsikszentmihalyiM (1992) Flow: The psychology of happiness. London: Rider.
8.
DavidsonRJKabat-ZinnJSchumacherJRosenkranzMMullerDaniel MSantorelliSUrbanowskiFHarringtonABonusKSheridanJF (2003) Alterations in brain and immune function produced by mindfulness meditation. Psychosomatic Medicine, 65(4), 564–70.
9.
DeckroGRBallingerKMHoytMWilcherMDusekJMyersPGreenbergBRosenthalDSBensonH (2002) The evaluation of a mind/body intervention to reduce psychological distress and perceived stress in college students. Journal of American College Health, 50(6), 281–87.
10.
DidonnaF (2009) Clinical handbook of mindfulness. New York: Springer.
11.
DyrbyeLNThomasMRShanafeltTD (2006) Systematic review of depression, anxiety, and other indicators of psychological distress among US and Canadian medical students. Academic Medicine, 81(4), 354–73.
12.
FlanaganNAFlanaganTJ (2002) An analysis of the relationship between job satisfaction and job stress in correctional nurses. Research in Nursing and Health, 25(4), 282–94.
13.
FlemingVGaidysURobbY (2003) Hermeneutic research in nursing: Developing a Gadamerian-based research method. Nursing Inquiry, 10(2), 113–20.
14.
GadamerHG (1975) Truth and method. New York: Seabury.
15.
GallegosKBettinardi-AngresKTalbottG (1990) The effect of physician impairment on the family. Maryland Medical Journal, 39(11), 1001–07.
16.
GuraST (2010) Mindfulness in occupational therapy education. Occupational Therapy in Health Care, 24(3), 266–73.
17.
HanhTN (1976) The miracle of mindfulness: A manual of meditation. Boston: Beacon Press.
18.
HawtinHSullivanC (2011) Experiences of mindfulness training in living with rheumatic disease: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(3), 137–42.
19.
IrvingJADobkinPLParkJ (2009) Cultivating mindfulness in health care professionals: A review of empirical studies of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice15(2), 61–66.
20.
JainVLallRMcLaughlinDJohnsonW (1996) Effects of locus of control, occupational stress, and psychological distress on job satisfaction among nurses. Psychological Reports, 78(3, Pt 2), 1256–58.
21.
JonssonHJosephssonS (2005) Occupation and meaning. In: ChristiansenCHBaumCMBass-HaugenJ, eds. Performance, participation, and well-being. 2nd ed. Thorofare, NJ: Slack.
22.
Kabat-ZinnJ (2003) Mindfulness-based interventions in context: Past, present, and future. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 144–56.
23.
Kabat-ZinnJ (2005) Coming to our senses: Healing ourselves and the world through mindfulness. London: Piatkus.
24.
KallioE (2002) The misery and happiness of studying –stress in university studies. Jyvaskyla, Finland: Institute of Educational Research.
25.
KleinG (1996) The effect of acute stressors on decision making. In: DriskellJESalasE. eds. Stress and human performance. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum, 48–88.
26.
OlsonLSkinnerSHillJPietkiewicxLMahaffeyFCunixJ (2007) Integrating evidence into practice: Experiences of an evidence-based practice workgroup. Special Interest Section Quarterly: Mental Health, 30(4), 1–3.
27.
OmanDShapiroSLThoresenCEPlanteTGFlindersT (2008) Meditation lowers stress and supports forgiveness among college students: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of American College Health, 56(5), 569–78.
28.
PastoreFRGambertSRPlutchikAPlutchikR (1995) Empathy training for medical students. (Unpublished manuscript.) New York: New York Medical College.
29.
RadcliffeCLesterH (2003) Perceived stress during undergraduate medical training: A qualitative study. Medical Education, 37(1), 32–38.
30.
RahulaW (1997) What the Buddha taught. Oxford: Oneworld Publications.
31.
ReidD (2009) Capturing presence moments: The art of mindful practice in occupational therapy. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 76(3), 180–88.
32.
RichingsJCKharaGSMcDowellM (1986) Suicide in young doctors. British Journal of Psychiatry, 149, 475–78.
33.
RobinsonKKennedyNHarmonD (2011) The issue is –Is occupational therapy adequately meeting the needs of people with chronic pain?American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 65(1), 106–13.
34.
RolfeG (2006) Validity, trustworthiness and rigour: Quality and the idea of qualitative research. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 53(3), 304–10.
35.
RosenzweigSReibelDKGreesonJMBrainardGCHojatM (2003) Mindfulness-based stress reduction lowers psychological distress in medical students. Teaching and Learning in Medicine, 15(2), 88–92.
36.
SalzbergS (1997) A heart as wide as the world. Living with mindfulness, wisdom and compassion. Boston: Shambhala.
37.
SantorelliS (1999) Heal thyself: Lessons on mindfulness in medicine. New York: Random House.
38.
SegalZVWilliamsJMGTeasdaleJD (2002) Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression. A new approach to preventing relapse. New York: Guilford Press.
39.
ShanafeltTDBradleyKAWipfJEBackAL (2002) Burnout and self-reported patient care in an internal medicine residency program. Annals of Internal Medicine, 136(5), 358–67.
40.
ShapiroSLSchwartzGEBonnerG (1998) Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on medical and premedical students. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 21(6), 581–99.
41.
ShapiroSLAstinJABishopSRCordovaM (2005) Mindfulness-based stress reduction for health care professionals: Results from a randomized trial. International Journal of Stress Management, 12(2), 164–76.
42.
ShapiroSLBrownKBiegelG (2007) Self-care for health care professionals: Effects of MBSR on mental well being of counselling psychology students. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 1(2), 105–15.
43.
SiegelRD (2010) The mindfulness solution: Everyday practices for everyday problems. New York: Guilford Press.
44.
SmithA (1990) Stress and information processing. In: JohnstonMWallaceML, eds. Stress and medical procedures. Oxford: Oxford Medical Publications, Oxford University Press, 184.
45.
SpickardAGabbeSChristensenJ (2002) Mid-career burnout in generalist and specialist physicians. Journal of the American Medical Association, 288(12), 1447–50.
46.
ThompsonB (2009) Mindfulness-based stress reduction for people with chronic conditions. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 72(9), 405–10.
47.
TolleE (2001) The power of now: A guide to spiritual enlightenment. London: Hodder and Stoughton.
48.
TyssenRVaglumPGronvoldNTEkebergO (2001) Suicidal ideation among medical students and young physicians: A nationwide and prospective study of prevalence and predictors. Journal of Affective Disorders, 64(1), 69–79.
49.
VaheyDCAikenLHSloaneDMClarkeSPVargasD (2004) Nurse burnout and patient satisfaction. Medical Care, 42(2 Suppl), 57–66.
50.
van ManenM (1997) Researching lived experience: Human science for an action sensitive pedagogy. 2nd ed. London, ON: Althouse Press.
51.
WallochCL (1998) Neuro-occupation and the management of chronic pain through mindfulness meditation. Occupational Therapy International, 5(3), 238–48.
52.
WenzlaffDWegnerdMKleinSB (1991) The role of thought suppression in the bonding of thought and mood. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60(4), 500–08.
53.
WrightJSadloGStewG (2006) Challenge-skills and mindfulness: An exploration of the conundrum of flow process. Occupational Therapy Journal of Research: Occupation, Participation and Health, 26(1), 25–33.
