Incorporating a Standardized Mindfulness Program in Occupational Therapy Fieldwork Preparatory Coursework: Enhancing professionalism and socialization Emily A. Zeman, OTD, MS, OTR/L & Mary E. Evenson, OTD, MPH, OTR/L, FAOTA AOTA Ed Summit, Panel Presentation Texas A-E, Platform 104A 10:45am-12:15pm Objectives Explore an innovative & accessible instructional method to promote student professional socialization Share a proposed implementation plan & program evaluation approaches for Koru Mindfulness intervention in your program Identify resources required for mindfulness program adoption & replication Background Occupational therapy student preparation for Level II Fieldwork and entry-level practice Fieldwork Seminar AOTA s Education Research Agenda Call for innovative instructional methods to support entry-level competence Point of entry to profession Quadruple Aim Added aim to the Triple Aim is Provider Experience 1
How can educators spark student investment in & a commitment to professional identity during fieldwork & at entry-level? Mindfulness Definition: Systematically paying attention to the present moment, non-judgmentally, with curiosity (Kabat-Zinn, 1990) Benefits of Mindfulness Training programs shown to reduce stress & anxiety in clinical & non-clinical populations Mechanisms of change within neurophysiological system, in values clarification Mindfulness, developed by meditation, or practicing, intentionally, notices thoughts and feelings, yet anchors one back to the present moment through the object of attention Can be the breath, a word, a poem, a prayer, a movement 2
Significance Mindfulness builds present-moment awareness & resilience through practices Early and ongoing identity to the profession Entry-level competence Remain present to ethos and values of compassionate, client-centered care in therapeutic relationships Safety Self-management tools & strategies are essential to support professional quality of life for early stages of career as occupational therapist Developed at Duke University, by psychiatrists Holly Rogers & Margaret Maytan, Adopted Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction practices (MBSR) (Kabat-Zinn, 1990) and mind-body practices (Gordon et al., 2008) Shaped by Emerging Adulthood (Arnett, 2000) A time directed toward career and future choices Financial stress and time of ambiguity Me focused & optimistic Less anchored to any one thing I. Taught in small, diverse groups x 4 sessions II. Requires commitment to attendance and practice (10 minutes daily; weekly log, book readings) III. Kept focused and brief(ish) IV. Self-calming skills V. Active teaching with language that resonates with EA s 3
Greeson et al. (2014) conducted RCT of college students at Duke, with the developmentally-sensitive approach, of 4 Koru mindfulness sessions (Arnett, 2000), a 4-week intervention for young adults (ages 18-30), demonstrated significant changes in anxiety, perceived stress, improvements in sleep quality, mindfulness and self-compassion OTD Fieldwork Seminar Pilot 1 st Steps Koru Teacher training and certification 3 days onsite (NC, CA, etc.) Koru Basic, 2.0, ½ day Retreat 2 years supported learning dashboard: 4 video consultations, resources, tech support, and course management Run 3 Koru Basic, video-record lessons, submit to Koru for final certification OTD Fieldwork Seminar Pilot 2 nd Steps Study design Voluntary participation, concurrent with FW Seminar Control group and Intervention group, pre & post Follow-up during Level II Fieldwork with measures Measures Perceived Stress Scale (PSS, Cohen, 1994); Mindfulness Attention & Awareness Scale (Baer, 2003); Self-Compassion Scale (SCS, Neff, 2016) IRB submission Launch Monitor through follow-up Data collection and analysis 4
Coming to Practitioners, too! Mindful Self-Compassion Trainings Yale Stanford UCSD https://nam.edu/burnout-stress-and-compassion-fatigue-inoccupational-therapy-practice-and-education-a-call-formindful-self-care-protocols/ References American Occupational Therapy Association. (2014). Research Agenda Occupational therapy education research agenda. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 68, S83 S86. http://dx.doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2014.685s06 Arnett, J. (2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. American Psychologist, 55, 469-480. Cohen, S. (1994). Perceived stress scale. Retrieved February 2, 2017 from http://www.mindgarden.com/documents/perceivedstressscale.pdf Gordon, J.S., Staples, J.K., Byta, A., Bytyqi, M., & Wilson, A. (2008). Treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder in post-war Kosovo adolescents using mind-body skills group: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 69, 1469-1476. Greeson, J.M, Juberg, M.K., Maytan, M., James, K. & Rogers, H. (2014). A randomized control trial of Koru: A mindfulness program for college students and other emerging adults. Journal of American College Health, 62(4), 222-233. Kabat-Zinn, J. (1994). Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. New York, NY: Delta. Neff, K. D. (2016). The Self-Compassion Scale is a valid and theoretically coherent measure of selfcompassion. Mindfulness, 7, 264 274. Reid, D.T. (2013). Teaching mindfulness to occupational therapy students: Pilot evaluation of an online curriculum. The Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 80(1), 42-48. Rogers, H. (2016). The Mindful Twenty-Something: Life Skills to Handle Stress and Everything Else. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Press. Rogers, H. & Maytan, M. (2012). Mindfulness for the Next Generation: Helping Emerging Adults Manage Stress and Lead Healthier Lives. New York, NY: Oxford. 5