--- title: Online Mindfulness Programs Address Physician Burnout description: An online mindfulness- and compassion-based program may reduce symptoms of burnout in physicians for up to six months. image: https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/doctor_burnout_iStock-2210193625.jpg --- 10/7/25 2:36 PM # Online Mindfulness Programs Address Physician Burnout ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [ Psychiatric News Alert ](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) Share: [facebook-f icon ](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://alert.psychnews.org/online-mindfulness-programs-address-physician-burnout) [linkedin-in icon ](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://alert.psychnews.org/online-mindfulness-programs-address-physician-burnout) [Twitter icon ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://alert.psychnews.org/online-mindfulness-programs-address-physician-burnout) [pinterest-p icon ](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://alert.psychnews.org/online-mindfulness-programs-address-physician-burnout) [envelope icon ](mailto:?body=https://alert.psychnews.org/online-mindfulness-programs-address-physician-burnout) ![doctor_burnout_iStock-2210193625](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/doctor_burnout_iStock-2210193625.jpg?width=200&height=133&name=doctor_burnout_iStock-2210193625.jpg)An online mindfulness- and compassion-based program may reduce symptoms of burnout in physicians for up to six months, a [study](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0163834325001914) in *General Hospital Psychiatry* has found.   Francisco Villalon, M.D., M.B.A., of the Universidad Diego Portales in Santiago, Chile, and colleagues analyzed data from 474 Chilean physicians who were assigned to an eight-week intervention known as intercuidado basado en atención plena (IBAP), or a waitlist control. All participants had burnout as measured via the Maslach Burnout Inventory–Human Services Survey. At baseline, post-intervention, and six-month follow-up, participants completed a survey that included questionnaires that measured burnout symptoms, mental health, mindfulness, and self-compassion.   The IBAP consisted of eight weekly two-hour online group sessions, along with home practice. Led by a physician who was also a certified mindfulness teacher, the sessions included:   - Mindfulness- and compassion-based exercises and meditations - Concepts of compassionate communication - An ethical perspective of care - Exercises to help build habits Participants in the IBAP group had significantly lower total burnout at eight weeks and follow-up compared with the waitlisted group. They also had improvements in emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, personal accomplishment, mindfulness, self-compassion, psychological well-being, and perceived medical errors. Mediation analysis revealed that mindfulness and self-compassion each accounted for about 30% of the reduction in burnout, which in turn mediated the decrease in perceived medical errors.   “By reducing burnout, this program may improve physician well-being and, indirectly, enhance quality of care and job satisfaction—key outcomes in overburdened healthcare systems,” Villalon and colleagues wrote.   For related information, see the *Psychiatric News* article “[Systems-Level Changes Needed to Address Burnout, Experts Say](https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.pn.2023.12.12.29)” and “[Protecting Ourselves Protects Patients](https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.pn.2023.06.5.11).”   (Image: Getty Images/iStock/fizkes) ---   Join APA on Tuesday, October 14, noon-1:30 p.m. ET, for a free webinar on "Confronting Physician Stress & Suicide in Modern Healthcare." 1.5 CME/COP credits will be offered.  [Register here](https://www.psychiatry.org/Psychiatrists/Meetings/Breaking-the-Silence-Confronting-Physician-Stress).     [stress](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/stress), [burnout](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/burnout), [mindfulness](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/mindfulness), [medical errors](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/medical-errors), [compassionate care](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/compassionate-care) ## Related Posts [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/doctors_iStock-1002020774-4.jpg?height=200&name=doctors_iStock-1002020774-4.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2019/07/psychiatrists-describe-dangers-in.html) ## [Psychiatrists Describe Dangers in Physician ‘Burnout’ Becoming Catchall Term for Emotional Distress](https://alert.psychnews.org/2019/07/psychiatrists-describe-dangers-in.html) 7/17/19 12:00 AM [ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2019/07/psychiatrists-describe-dangers-in.html) [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/well_being_burnout-Jun-24-2025-07-34-02-2887-PM.jpg?height=200&name=well_being_burnout-Jun-24-2025-07-34-02-2887-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2020/01/help-apa-understand-how-burnout-affects.html) ## [Help APA Understand How Burnout Affects Different Groups](https://alert.psychnews.org/2020/01/help-apa-understand-how-burnout-affects.html) 1/17/20 12:00 AM [ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2020/01/help-apa-understand-how-burnout-affects.html) [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/iStock-905898434-Jun-24-2025-07-49-46-4801-PM.jpg?height=200&name=iStock-905898434-Jun-24-2025-07-49-46-4801-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2018/09/physician-burnout-poses-risks-to.html) ## [Physician Burnout Poses Risks to Patient Safety](https://alert.psychnews.org/2018/09/physician-burnout-poses-risks-to.html) 9/4/18 12:00 AM [ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2018/09/physician-burnout-poses-risks-to.html) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Psychiatric News Alert", "url" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert" }, "dateModified" : "2025-10-07T18:36:03.877Z", "datePublished" : "2025-10-07T18:36:03.000Z", "headline" : "Online Mindfulness Programs Address Physician Burnout", "image" : [ "https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/doctor_burnout_iStock-2210193625.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/online-mindfulness-programs-address-physician-burnout", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/PN-Blue-Box.jpg" } } } ```