Impact of an 8-Week Mindfulness and Resilience Virtual Training on Stress and Burnout For University Faculty and Staff

Abstract

By Conner Funke, Medical Sciences

Advisor: Sian Cotton

Award: Excellence in Research Communication

Presentation ID: 177

Abstract: Mental well-being and reducing stress are critical to job performance and retention within University faculty/staff. The purpose of this study was to assess drivers of burnout, motivators for participation in, and the impact of attending a virtual 8-week mindfulness and resilience training (MRT) on faculty/staff stress and burnout. Methods: A mixed methods pre-post survey was administered to participants of an 8-week virtual MRT offered at a Midwestern university to faculty/staff. Qualitative items assessed top stressors, motivators for participation, and personal and professional impacts of the training. Validated measures were used to assess burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory); stress (Perceived Stress Scale); and a Likert scale assessment was used to examine 7 evidence-based drivers of burnout (Shanafelt, 2017). SPSS.25 was used to compare mean scores pre-post intervention and thematic analysis was used to describe qualitative data. Results: 93 faculty/staff registered for the MRT while 21 participants completed both pre-post surveys and attended 6 or more sessions (mean age=42 years, 95% white, 95% female). Stress management (38%) and burnout (38%) were the top motivators for participation. Top drivers of burnout were feeling their workload was too much (35.6%) and having difficulties balancing work and life (18.6%). Participants reported significant decreases in stress (p=.00) and increases in PE (p=.05), as well as less EE (p=.24) and cynicism (p=.14) post-training. Conclusion: Addressing stress and burnout through a virtual MRT can reach a wide audience of university faculty/staff with positive impacts on mental well-being and reduced burnout at work.