Weill Medical College of Cornell University
The goal of this study is to learn if a meditation intervention called Transcendental Meditation or TM can be used in a small department at Weill Cornell Medicine to help reduce employees' levels of burnout, anxiety, insomnia, and depression as well as to determine the feasibility and acceptability of the meditation practice by Weill Cornell employees. The main question the study aims to answer is whether: • Levels of burnout, anxiety, insomnia, and depression will be decreased, and overall mental well-being will improve over a 3.5-month period before and after TM intervention. Participants will attend 9 sessions total (8 group sessions and 1 individual session) with a certified TM instructor from The David Lynch Foundation Institute for Mental Health and Resilience where they will gain experience in proper TM techniques. Also, participants will conduct 2 of their own TM sessions at home daily during the course of this study.
Inclusion Criteria: * Be 18 years of age or older * Be a full-time employee at Weill Cornell Medicine or NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. * Agree to complete the entire TM training program of eight sessions and practice the TM technique twice daily for approximately 20 minutes. * Agree to complete a battery of self-report baseline and post-test surveys online (1-month and 3-months post baseline). * If being treated with psychoactive medications, have maintained a stable regimen for at least two months prior to enrollment. * Can commit to remaining in the New York area for 3 ½ consecutive months…
Participants will undergo a TM training program of nine sessions and practice the TM technique twice daily for approximately 20 minutes.The TM training program will include a total of 9 sessions conducted by experienced certified TM instructors: an introductory session (Session 0, described above), core instruction consisting of 4 sessions taught on 4 consecutive days (Sessions 1-4, 60-75 minutes each), followed by 4 follow-up sessions offered at intervals over the following 3 months (Sessions 5-8, 45 minutes each). All 9 sessions will be completed within 3.5 months from the time of the first session.