Evaluation of Mind-body Educational Program to Enhance Resiliency and Reduce Burnout in First Year Residents

Overview

This prospective pilot study evaluated the benefits of a stress management and resiliency training program for residents (SMART-R). The primary objective of this study is to determine whether the SMART-R effectively reduces burnout and stress and enhances coping skills in first year residents. Objective parameters (heart rate, galvanized skin response, sleep duration and quality, exercise and actigraphy) measured with the Basis health tracking device will help correlate objective signs to subjective report of stress. The investigators' hypothesis is that the SMART-R, a curriculum designed to teach first year residents (in the department of Medicine and Psychiatry) relaxation skills, will enhance residents' emotional and physical well being, reduce reports of stress, anxiety, depression, and physical complaints, as well as increase overall resiliency.

The SMART-R has been developed by the Benson-Henry Institute (BHI) of Mind Body Medicine and is aimed at reducing the impact of stress through a variety of skill building exercises. The exercises incorporated into the program have been shown to improve physical symptoms, mood and wellbeing in medical patient populations. However, very little work has focused on healthcare providers, and there are no studies that look at mindfulness interventions for resident physicians specifically. Participants enrolled will be invited to complete a set of questionnaire before and after participation in the program. The investigators will also collect continuous physiologic data using the Basis Peak Health Tracking device to correlate the physiologic data with self-report measures of stress.