JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Physician burnout is on the rise, yet little is known about its relationship to anxiety. Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction has demonstrated reductions in anxiety, yet physicians have reported reluctance to engage in it due to significant time commitments.

Objective:

To assess whether physician burnout and anxiety are correlated, and whether app-based mindfulness training targeted at anxiety reduces both anxiety and burnout.

Methods:

This was a single-arm prospective pilot study comprised of 34 physicians who worked in a large US healthcare network and endorsed anxiety. The intervention was an app-based mindfulness program. The main outcome measure was anxiety, measured by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). Secondary outcome measures assessed burnout: cynicism and emotional exhaustion items from the Maslach Burnout Inventory.

Results:

There was a significant correlation between anxiety and burnout (cynicism: r =.43, P = .01; emotional exhaustion: r =.71; P < .001). GAD-7 scores decreased significantly at post-treatment (one month after treatment initiation, 48% reduction, P < .001) and at the three month follow-up (57% reduction, P < .001). There was also a significant decrease in cynicism (50% reduction, P = .003 at post-treatment; 50% reduction, P = .009 at follow-up) and emotional exhaustion at both time points (20% reduction, P < .001 at post-treatment; 20% reduction, P = .003 at follow-up).

Conclusions:

This pilot study is the first to demonstrate that in physicians, anxiety is correlated with burnout, and suggests that app-based mindfulness training may be a feasible tool to reduce anxiety and burnout in physicians.