EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION IN ALLEVIATING BURNOUT SYMPTOMS AMONG MEDICAL STUDENTS
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Keywords
Burnout Prevention, Medical Education, Mental Health, Stress Management, Yoga and Meditation
Abstract
Background: Medical students experience high rates of burnout, impacting their mental health and academic performance. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a structured yoga and meditation program in reducing burnout symptoms among medical students.
Methods: A 12-month prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted with 240 medical students (intervention=120, control=120). The intervention group participated in thrice-weekly yoga (60 minutes) and daily meditation (20 minutes) sessions led by certified instructors. Burnout symptoms, stress levels, anxiety, sleep quality, and mindfulness were assessed at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months using standardized instruments.
Results: The intervention group showed significant reductions in burnout scores (30.8% decrease from baseline, p<0.001) compared to controls. Stress indicators improved significantly: perceived stress (-34.5%, p<0.001), anxiety scores (-33.3%, p<0.001), and sleep quality (+36.7%, p<0.001). High program adherence (>80% participation) was maintained by 52.7% of participants, demonstrating a dose-response relationship with burnout reduction (high adherence: -42.5% vs. low adherence: -15.2%, p<0.001).
Conclusion: Structured yoga and meditation interventions effectively reduced burnout symptoms among medical students, with benefits proportional to practice frequency. These findings support incorporating mind-body practices into medical education curricula as preventive measures against student burnout.
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Dr. Md Kamran Khan
Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, Katihar Medical College, Katihar, Bihar, India
Dr Md Ansar Alam
Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, Lord Buddha Medical College Saharsa, Bihar, India