Stress and Coping Among Health Professions Students During COVID-19: A Perspective on the Benefits of Mindfulness

• Main Authors: Christina M Luberto PhD, Janice H Goodman PhD, Bonnie Halvorson MS, Amy Wang, Aviad Haramati PhD
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SAGE Publishing 2020-12-01
• Series: Global Advances in Health and Medicine
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1177/2164956120977827

Many health professions students experience elevated stress and burnout during their professional education and training. With the added challenges of COVID-19, students face a whole new set of stressors. Students in the Spring 2020 semester of our online academic course, “Mindfulness for Healthcare Providers,” began confronting the COVID-19 crisis after several weeks of mindfulness meditation practice as part of the course. Students discussed their experiences using the course discussion boards, providing a unique opportunity to explore the practical application of mindfulness for student well-being during a crisis. Themes from the discussion board revealed a range of novel stressors and concerns due to COVID-19 (physical health, mental health, societal implications, academic and clinical training disruptions). All students reported that mindfulness practice helped them cope by improving specific mindfulness skills (focus, appreciation, cognitive de-centering, non-reactivity). Mindfulness training may be a useful approach to promoting student well-being during a crisis.