The effect of mindfulness meditation on therapists’ body-awareness and burnout in different forms of practice

Abstract

Objectives: The main aim of this study was to explore whether mindfulness increases therapists’ (physiotherapists and sport therapists) body-awareness and if it can have an effect on reducing their burnout in the workplace. Additionally, it was intended to gather evidence about which of the methods of delivery of the mindfulness meditation programmes (MMP) (face-to-face groups with an instructor (FFGs) and self-directed group (SDG)) were more effective with therapists.

Methods: Online tools such as the creation of a website, as well as skype and online surveys were used with participants as a part of the methodology. Seven measurements were used to assess the effect of mindfulness meditation on therapists after 4 weeks of formal and informal practise.

Results: Our results showed that attention regulation, self-regulation and trusting in FFGs had a significant improvement in pre- and post-meditation practise. Findings showed significant differences between groups for the FFGs. Particularly, our findings indicated a clear improvement in the acting with awareness, a positive effect of mindfulness, emotional awareness and a reduction in burnout. However, no changes were observed in stress.

Conclusions: This study offers evidence that mindfulness meditation benefited therapists in terms of improving their body-awareness and by reducing their level of burnout at workplace. The benefits of the mindfulness programme were more significant when delivered in a face-to-face programme rather than in a self-directed way.

Keywords:

• Physiotherapists
• sport therapists
• mindfulness
• meditation
• body-awareness
• burnout

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by Human Capacity Development Program (HCDP), sponsored by Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, according to Ministerial order of HCDP, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Iraq.