AccScience Publishing / HPR / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/HPR0136
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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Feasibility and preliminary clinical outcomes of a mindfulness-based stress reduction program among psychiatry and child neuropsychiatry residents: A pilot study

Antimo Natale1 ,  Cecilia Chiarenza2 ,  Gabriele Avincola2* ,  Carla Benedicta Romano2 ,  Giuseppina Morabito3 ,  Letizia Ferrante3 ,  Laura Bongiorno3 ,  Fakhrou Abdulnaser4 ,  Roberta Pastorino5,6 ,  Pasquale Caponnetto7,8 ,  Maria Salvina Signorelli2
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1 Department of Psychiatry, Adult Psychiatry Service, University Hospital of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
2 Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Psychiatry Unit, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
3 Mindful Sicilia ETS, Catania, Italy
4 Department of Psychological Science, College of Education, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
5 Section of Hygiene, Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
6 Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health - Public Health Area, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Roma, Italy
7 Department of Educational Sciences, Section of Psychology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
8 Center of Excellence for the Acceleration of Harm Reduction (CoEHAR), University of Catania, Catania, Italy
HPR, 0136 https://doi.org/10.36922/HPR0136
Received: 20 May 2025 | Revised: 22 May 2026 | Accepted: 26 May 2026 | Published online: 29 July 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
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Abstract

Background: Burnout, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and impaired mentalizing are common among mental health trainees, potentially impacting well-being and quality of care. Mindfulness-based interventions have shown promise in mitigating these issues. Incorporating such programs into postgraduate training may offer proactive support during a critical developmental stage.

Objective: This study primarily aimed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of implementing a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program among psychiatry and child neuropsychiatry residents. Secondary exploratory aims included assessing preliminary changes in burnout, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and mentalizing outcomes.

Methods: This single-center, non-randomized controlled pilot feasibility study included psychiatry and child neuropsychiatry residents. Participation in the intervention group was based on willingness to attend an MBSR program alongside standard institutional support services. A comparison group was identified among residents from the same departments who received standard support only. Feasibility outcomes included recruitment, retention, adherence, and participant satisfaction. Validated scales assessed burnout, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and mentalizing before and after intervention.

Results: Thirty-nine participants were included in the final analysis (19 in the intervention group; 20 in the control group). Feasibility outcomes indicated good acceptability and participant satisfaction. Exploratory analyses showed a modest reduction in emotional exhaustion in the intervention group compared to controls (p = 0.0487), while no significant between-group differences emerged for other outcomes.

Conclusion: This pilot study supports the feasibility and acceptability of implementing an MBSR program among mental health trainees. Exploratory findings suggest possible effects on emotional exhaustion, although results should be interpreted cautiously. Larger controlled studies are needed to assess clinical effectiveness.

Keywords
Burnout
Mindfulness
Resident
Mental health
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
Pasquale Caponnetto serves as one of the Editors-in-Chief of this journal, but was not in any way involved in the editorial and peer-review process conducted for this paper, directly or indirectly. The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
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