Correia Helen M, Smith Anita D, Murray Susan, Polak Lynlea S, Williams Bronwyn, Cake Martin A
J Vet Med Educ. 2017 Spring;44(1):125-133. doi: 10.3138/jvme.0116-026R.
Veterinary medical students, like other university students, are likely to experience elevated levels of stress, anxiety, and depression over the course of their studies. Mindfulness-based interventions have previously been effective for university students in reducing stress, depression, and anxiety. In this study, a mindfulness-based intervention was embedded in a core (compulsory) unit of a veterinary science course, in part with the aim of improving student well-being. Preliminary results suggest that, despite the mindfulness intervention, overall symptoms of stress, depression, and anxiety among participants (n=64) increased between the start and end of the semester. However, further analysis showed that most of this longitudinal increase was attributable to individuals who scored above the normal range (i.e., at least mild level of symptoms) in one or more measures at the beginning of the semester. Within this subset, individuals who regularly engaged in mindfulness practice once a week or more throughout the semester reported significantly lower depression and anxiety symptoms than those who practiced less than once a week (i.e., who had long periods without practice). Results suggest that engaging regularly in mindfulness practice potentially acted as a protective factor for students already experiencing at least a mild range of symptoms of anxiety and depression at the beginning of the semester. While not all veterinary students may derive significant benefit immediately, providing access to an embedded mindfulness program early in their program may facilitate the development of adaptive coping mechanisms, which may be engaged to increase resilience across their academic and professional life.
兽医专业的学生和其他大学生一样，在学习过程中可能会经历更高水平的压力、焦虑和抑郁。基于正念的干预措施此前对大学生减轻压力、抑郁和焦虑有效。在本研究中，一项基于正念的干预措施被纳入一门兽医学课程的核心（必修）单元，部分目的是改善学生的幸福感。初步结果表明，尽管进行了正念干预，但参与者（n = 64）在学期开始和结束之间，压力、抑郁和焦虑的总体症状有所增加。然而，进一步分析表明，这种纵向增加大多归因于那些在学期开始时一项或多项测量得分高于正常范围（即至少有轻度症状水平）的个体。在这个子集中，整个学期每周定期进行一次或多次正念练习的个体，其抑郁和焦虑症状明显低于每周练习少于一次（即有很长一段时间不练习）的个体。结果表明，定期进行正念练习可能对那些在学期开始时已经经历至少轻度焦虑和抑郁症状的学生起到保护作用。虽然并非所有兽医专业学生都能立即获得显著益处，但在他们课程早期提供一个嵌入式正念项目可能有助于发展适应性应对机制，这可能会增强他们在学术和职业生涯中的复原力。
