A Mixed-Methods Feasibility and Acceptability Trial of Mindfulness-Based Wellness and Resilience among Interdisciplinary Primary Care Teams

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Wellness and Resilience (MBWR), an 8-week training delivered onsite during paid, protected time to interdisciplinary primary care teams. Thirty-eight health care providers were allocated to MBWR (n = 20; two teams) or a wait-list control group (n = 18; two teams). Both groups completed baseline, post-MBWR, and 3-month follow-up measures of resilience, mindfulness, self-compassion, team cohesion, and burnout. Adherence to formal and informal mindfulness practices were assessed. Qualitative data was collected from MBWR participants through post-training focus groups and on-line surveys. Participants in MBWR showed significantly greater improvement in resilience, self-compassion, and mindfulness than participants in the wait-list control. Physicians in the MBWR group reported significant reductions in emotional exhaustion and improved team cohesion, evidencing medium to large effect sizes. Frequency of reported informal mindfulness practice, but not formal mindfulness practice, was significantly correlated with multiple outcomes at post-MBWR and 3-month follow-up. Qualitative analysis revealed themes suggesting that MBWR participants benefited from enhanced awareness, improved team cohesion, increased adaptive coping, improved quality of life, and enhanced quality of patient care. Results demonstrate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of MBWR for interdisciplinary primary care teams in promoting resilience and reducing burnout, as well as the highlight the associations among informal mindfulness practice and post-training outcomes