The effects of mindfulness as perceived by Brazilian medicine students

Abstract: Introduction: From the perspective of student health care, mental well-being is a key influence on quality of life and, consequently, on academic and professional performance. Mindfulness-based programs focus on developing stress management skills, representing effective strategies to improve mental health management. Furthermore, these programs are reproducible and can be conducted in groups. Objective: To analyze how medical students perceive a practical meditation program offered to them, focusing on the strategies learned from that experience. Method: This study was conducted at the Federal University of Paraná, using an existing Mindfulness protocol adapted to the reality of the undergraduate students. It was a qualitative methodological study to assess the impacts caused by the meditation and the effective life implications for the participants. Results: Significant changes were reported by the participants, such as greater self-care, improved personal organization and greater understanding of their emotions. They pointed out the strategy as an important support point to face the daily difficulties they encountered during medical school. Such aspects persisted in the accounts given by the participants even after six months of the intervention. Despite this improvement, the students did not incorporate meditation itself as a daily habit. Conclusions: From a group approach perspective, as well as the positive effects, the practice proved to be cheap and easy to reproduce. As there are numerous well-studied and established protocols for the practice, it could become an invaluable support tool for student mental health.

摘要：引言：从学生健康照护视角来看，心理健康福祉是影响生活质量的关键因素，进而影响学业与职业表现。基于正念（Mindfulness）课程专注于培养压力管理技能，是改善心理健康管理的有效策略。此外，此类课程具备可复现性，且可通过团体形式开展。研究目的：分析医学生对所参与的实操冥想课程的认知情况，重点聚焦参与者从该体验中习得的策略。研究方法：本研究于巴拉那联邦大学（Federal University of Paraná）开展，采用适配本科医学生实际情境的现有正念方案。本研究属于质性研究方法，旨在评估冥想实践所带来的影响，以及其对参与者实际生活的切实意涵。研究结果：参与者报告称自身出现显著变化，例如自我照料水平提升、个人条理改善，且对自身情绪的理解更为深刻。他们指出，该策略是应对医学院求学期间日常困境的重要支撑手段。即便在干预实施六个月后，参与者的表述中仍体现出上述积极变化。尽管存在上述改善，但学生并未将冥想本身纳入日常习惯。研究结论：从团体干预的视角来看，该实践不仅具备积极效果，同时成本低廉且易于复现。鉴于目前已有大量经过充分研究并得到广泛认可的正念实践方案，该方法有望成为支持学生心理健康的宝贵工具。