Mindfulness and compassion training for health professionals: A qualitative study

Clémence Brun (1, 2) , Alexis Akinyemi (3, 2) , Laurène Houtin (3, 2) , Claire Mizzi (4) , Thierry Cardoso (5) , Corinne Isnard Bagnis (6)

1 TIMC-ThEMAS - Techniques pour l'Evaluation et la Modélisation des Actions de la Santé
2 AD-HOC Lab
3 LAPPS - Laboratoire Parisien de Psychologie Sociale
4 Service de Néphrologie [CHU Pitié-Salpêtrière]
5 Santé publique France
6 Service de Neuroradiologie [CHU Pitié-Salpêtrière]

Background Compassion is a key component of quality care. Encouraging Health Care Professionals (HCPs) to develop a patient-centered care relationship through mindfulness and compassion training may be beneficial for both patients and HCPs. Method We assessed the impact of a compassion-centered mindfulness program [i.e., the Mindfulness Based (MB) CARE program] on healthcare practice conducting 10 phone interviews with HCPs who experienced the program. Results The training had an overall positive impact on the HCPs ability to feel compassion toward their patients and themselves, helped them develop kindness toward themselves and their patients, and enhanced their attention to their patient’s needs and theirs. Participants were better able to accept the difficult work experiences or those their patients experienced, with more perceived equanimity and less reactivity. Conclusion Professional mindfulness and compassion training programs could be operational levers for institutions aiming at fostering more compassionate HCPs–patients relationships.

Keywords: compassion; stress; burnout; patient-centered care; mindfulness

Domains: Humanities and Social Sciences; Psychology

Clémence Brun, Alexis Akinyemi, Laurène Houtin, Claire Mizzi, Thierry Cardoso, et al.. Mindfulness and compassion training for health professionals: A qualitative study. Frontiers in Psychology, 2023, 13, ⟨10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1113453⟩. ⟨halshs-03937822⟩