The feasibility of an innovative online mind-body wellness program for medical students
Purpose: Medical students have higher stress levels than their age-matched peers; however, few online wellness interventions have been trialed in this population. This pilot study examined the feasibility of an online wellness program for medical students. Method: This was a pilot feasibility, m...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Canadian Medical Education Journal
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Canadian Medical Education Journal |
| Online Access: | https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/cmej/article/view/77658 |
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| author | Christina Ray Shankar Jha Makayla Watt Ashley Hyde Kendra McGowan Sarah Tymchuk Puneeta Tandon |
| author_facet | Christina Ray Shankar Jha Makayla Watt Ashley Hyde Kendra McGowan Sarah Tymchuk Puneeta Tandon |
| author_sort | Christina Ray |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Purpose: Medical students have higher stress levels than their age-matched peers; however, few online wellness interventions have been trialed in this population. This pilot study examined the feasibility of an online wellness program for medical students.
Method: This was a pilot feasibility, mixed-methods study with a pre-post design. From September to October 2020, medical students from a large Canadian medical school were introduced to a 12-week online program with weekly sessions on yoga, breathwork, meditation, and nutrition. Feasibility measures included adherence, satisfaction, and retention, with secondary outcome measures including stress, anxiety, quality of life, and mindfulness. Post-program qualitative interviews explored participant experience.
Results: Of 74 participants, 64 completed the program. Twenty-one achieved the program goal of participating at least two days per week. While 74.8% of participants found the program accessible and satisfying, some students reported challenges with adherence. Exploratory analysis indicated there are signals for reduced stress (11%, p = 0.005), anxiety (14%, p = 0.001), and improved mindfulness (5.6%, p = 0.001). Qualitative analysis revealed themes of participants experiencing an increased sense of balance and mindfulness.
Conclusion: A 12-week online wellness intervention appears feasible for medical students, showing potential benefits for stress, anxiety, and mindfulness.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-43ece106bde949dcbaad78b8d591f0fb |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1923-1202 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Canadian Medical Education Journal |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Canadian Medical Education Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-43ece106bde949dcbaad78b8d591f0fb2025-08-20T02:47:25ZengCanadian Medical Education JournalCanadian Medical Education Journal1923-12022025-01-0110.36834/cmej.77658The feasibility of an innovative online mind-body wellness program for medical students Christina Ray0Shankar Jha1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1874-8055Makayla Watt2Ashley Hyde3Kendra McGowan4Sarah Tymchuk5Puneeta Tandon6University of CalgaryUniversity of AlbertaUniversity of AlbertaUniversity of AlbertaUniversity of AlbertaUniversity of AlbertaUniversity of Alberta Purpose: Medical students have higher stress levels than their age-matched peers; however, few online wellness interventions have been trialed in this population. This pilot study examined the feasibility of an online wellness program for medical students. Method: This was a pilot feasibility, mixed-methods study with a pre-post design. From September to October 2020, medical students from a large Canadian medical school were introduced to a 12-week online program with weekly sessions on yoga, breathwork, meditation, and nutrition. Feasibility measures included adherence, satisfaction, and retention, with secondary outcome measures including stress, anxiety, quality of life, and mindfulness. Post-program qualitative interviews explored participant experience. Results: Of 74 participants, 64 completed the program. Twenty-one achieved the program goal of participating at least two days per week. While 74.8% of participants found the program accessible and satisfying, some students reported challenges with adherence. Exploratory analysis indicated there are signals for reduced stress (11%, p = 0.005), anxiety (14%, p = 0.001), and improved mindfulness (5.6%, p = 0.001). Qualitative analysis revealed themes of participants experiencing an increased sense of balance and mindfulness. Conclusion: A 12-week online wellness intervention appears feasible for medical students, showing potential benefits for stress, anxiety, and mindfulness. https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/cmej/article/view/77658 |
| spellingShingle | Christina Ray Shankar Jha Makayla Watt Ashley Hyde Kendra McGowan Sarah Tymchuk Puneeta Tandon The feasibility of an innovative online mind-body wellness program for medical students Canadian Medical Education Journal |
| title | The feasibility of an innovative online mind-body wellness program for medical students |
| title_full | The feasibility of an innovative online mind-body wellness program for medical students |
| title_fullStr | The feasibility of an innovative online mind-body wellness program for medical students |
| title_full_unstemmed | The feasibility of an innovative online mind-body wellness program for medical students |
| title_short | The feasibility of an innovative online mind-body wellness program for medical students |
| title_sort | feasibility of an innovative online mind body wellness program for medical students |
| url | https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/cmej/article/view/77658 |
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