Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Feb 28;16(1):76-82.
doi: 10.36834/cmej.77658. eCollection 2025 Feb.

The feasibility of an innovative online mind-body wellness program for medical students

Christina Ray  1 , Shankar Jha  1 , Makayla Watt  2 , Ashley Hyde  3 , Kendra McGowan  4 , Sarah Tymchuk  5 , Puneeta Tandon  5
Affiliations

The feasibility of an innovative online mind-body wellness program for medical students

Christina Ray et al. Can Med Educ J. .

Abstract
in English, French

Purpose: Medical students have higher stress levels than their age-matched peers; however, few online wellness interventions have been trialed in this population. This pilot study examined the feasibility of an online wellness program for medical students.

Method: This was a pilot feasibility, mixed-methods study with a pre-post design. From September to October 2020, medical students from a large Canadian medical school were introduced to a 12-week online program with weekly sessions on yoga, breathwork, meditation, and nutrition. Feasibility measures included adherence, satisfaction, and retention, with secondary outcome measures including stress, anxiety, quality of life, and mindfulness. Post-program qualitative interviews explored participant experience.

Results: Of 74 participants, 64 completed the program. Twenty-one achieved the program goal of participating at least two days per week. While 74.8% of participants found the program accessible and satisfying, some students reported challenges with adherence. Exploratory analysis indicated there are signals for reduced stress (11%, p = 0.005), anxiety (14%, p = 0.001), and improved mindfulness (5.6%, p = 0.001). Qualitative analysis revealed themes of participants experiencing an increased sense of balance and mindfulness.

Conclusion: A 12-week online wellness intervention appears feasible for medical students, showing potential benefits for stress, anxiety, and mindfulness.

Objectif: Les étudiants en médecine ont des niveaux de stress plus élevés que leurs pairs du même âge; cependant, peu d'interventions de bien-être en ligne ont été testées dans cette population. Cette étude pilote a examiné la faisabilité d'un programme de bien-être en ligne pour les étudiants en médecine.

Méthode: Il s'agit d'une étude pilote de faisabilité, avec des méthodes mixtes et une conception avant-après. De septembre à octobre 2020, des étudiants en médecine d'une grande faculté canadienne ont été initiés à un programme en ligne de 12 semaines comprenant des séances hebdomadaires de yoga, de respiration, de méditation et de nutrition. Les mesures de faisabilité comprenaient l'adhésion, la satisfaction et la rétention, avec des mesures de résultats secondaires comprenant le stress, l'anxiété, la qualité de vie et la pleine conscience. Des entretiens qualitatifs à la suite du programme ont permis d'explorer l'expérience des participants.

Résultats: Sur 74 participants, 64 ont terminé le programme. Vingt-et-un ont atteint l'objectif du programme, à savoir participer au moins deux jours par semaine. Alors que 74,8 % des participants ont trouvé le programme accessible et satisfaisant, certains étudiants ont signalé des difficultés d'adhésion. Une analyse exploratoire a révélé des signaux de réduction du stress (11 %, p = 0,005), de l'anxiété (14 %, p = 0,001) et d'amélioration de la pleine conscience (5,6 %, p = 0,001). Une analyse qualitative a révélé des thèmes de participants ayant vécu un sens accru de l'équilibre et de la pleine conscience.

Conclusion: Une intervention en ligne de 12 semaines sur le bien-être semble faisable pour les étudiants en médecine, avec des bénéfices potentiels pour le stress, l'anxiété et la pleine conscience.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Participant satisfaction with different aspects of the study
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Dyrbye LN, Thomas MR, Shanafelt TD. Systematic review of depression, anxiety, and other indicators of psychological distress among U.S. and Canadian medical students. Acad Med. 2006;81(4):354-73. 10.1097/00001888-200604000-00009. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Brazeau CM, Shanafelt T, Durning SJ, et al. . Distress among matriculating medical students relative to the general population. Acad Med. 2014;89(11):1520-5. 10.1097/acm.0000000000000482. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Stirparo G, Pireddu R, D’Angelo M, Bottignole D, Mazzoli R, Gambolò L. Is mental health worse in medical students than in the general population? a cross-sectional study. Medicina 2024;60(6):863. Available from https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/60/6/863 - PMC - PubMed
    1. Maser B, Danilewitz M, Guérin E, Findlay L, Frank E. Medical Student psychological distress and mental illness relative to the general population: a canadian cross-sectional survey. Acad Med. 2019;94(11). 10.1097/ACM.0000000000002958 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Dyrbye LN, West CP, Satele D, et al. . Burnout among U.S. medical students, residents, and early career physicians relative to the general U.S. population. Acad Med. 2014;89(3):443-51. 10.1097/acm.0000000000000134. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources