Compassion Meditation Training for Hospital Chaplain Residents: A Pilot Study

This study examines the effectiveness of incorporating compassion meditation training into a clinical pastoral education (CPE) curriculum to enhance compassion satisfaction and reduce burnout among hospital chaplain residents. Specifically, a longitudinal, quasi-experimental design was used to exami...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of health care chaplaincy 2021-10, Vol.27 (4), p.191-206
Main Authors: Ash, Marcia J., Walker, Elizabeth Reisinger, DiClemente, Ralph J., Florian, Marianne P., Palmer, Patricia K., Wehrmeyer, Kathryn, Negi, Lobsang Tenzin, Grant, George H., Raison, Charles L., Mascaro, Jennifer S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Burnout
Chaplains
Clinical training
Compassion
compassion satisfaction
Curricula
Health administration
Intervention
Meditation
pastoral education
Quasi-experimental methods
secondary trauma stress
Sympathy
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Summary:This study examines the effectiveness of incorporating compassion meditation training into a clinical pastoral education (CPE) curriculum to enhance compassion satisfaction and reduce burnout among hospital chaplain residents. Specifically, a longitudinal, quasi-experimental design was used to examine the impact of Cognitively-Based Compassion Training (CBCT), a group-delivered compassion meditation intervention. Hospital chaplain residents (n = 15) were assigned to participate in a CBCT intervention or a waitlist comparison group. Chaplains assigned to CBCT reported significant decreases in burnout and anxiety compared to the waitlist group; effects were not maintained at 4-month follow-up. Other outcomes, including compassion satisfaction, did not differ significantly but were trending in the expected direction. Findings suggest that compassion meditation training incorporated into CPE promotes chaplain wellbeing, although it may be necessary to extend CBCT throughout residency to sustain effects.
ISSN:0885-4726
1528-6916
DOI:10.1080/08854726.2020.1723189