13) Mindfulness

Question 1

What is burnout?

Answer 1

State of mental and physical exhaustion related to work or care-giving activities

Question 2

What is burnout associated with?

Answer 2

Psychiatric disorder and suicidal ideation

Question 3

What is the problem with junior doctors suffering from burnout or depression?

Answer 3

More likely to make medication errors

Question 4

Describe the Yerkes-Dodson curve:

Answer 4

As levels of stress increase so does performance (eustress)

If stress increases past eustress, enter distress and performance falls

Question 5

What is the allostatic load?

Answer 5

Prolonged stress leads to wear and tear on the body

Question 6

What are some effects from the allostatic load?

Answer 6

Impaired immunity
Atherosclerosis
Atrophy of nerve cells in brain
Growth of amygdala mediates fear response

Question 7

How does stress affect DNA?

Answer 7

Causes lower telomerase activity so greater cellular ageing

Question 8

How does stress promote earlier onset of age related diseases?

Answer 8

High stress = shorter telomeres

Additional ageing of cells

Question 9

What is attention deficit trait?

Answer 9

Trying to deal with too much input results in:
Black and white thinking
Low levels of panic
Difficulty staying organised

Question 10

What is the difference between multitasking and task-switching?

Answer 10

Multitasking is an illusion

Actually, switching back and forth between tasks quickly

Question 11

What is mindfulness?

Answer 11

Mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while acknowledging one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations

Question 12

How many people will have a recurrent episode of depression?

Answer 12

50%

Question 13

Why are those who have been depressed, vulnerable to recurrent depression?

Answer 13

Small increases in sadness lead to reinstatement of thinking patterns experienced when depressed

Question 14

What was developed to help prevent relapse in recurrent depression?

Answer 14

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy

Question 15

What are some applications of mindfulness?

Answer 15

Mental health
Neuroscience
Pain management
Performance

Question 16

What are the 3 aspects of attention regulation?

Answer 16

To know where our attention is
To prioritise where our attention needs to be
For the attention to there and stay there

Question 17

How can mindfulness training affect the brain?

Answer 17

Improves functioning in areas related to executive functioning, self regulation and regulation of stress response

Question 18

What is confirmation bias?

Answer 18

Pursuit of data that support a diagnosis over data that refute it

Question 19

What is anchoring bias?

Answer 19

Resistance to adapting appropriately to subsequent data that suggest alternative diagnoses

Question 20

How can mindfulness programmes improve practitioner wellbeing?

Answer 20

Decrease burnout
Improve empathy
Decrease mood disturbance
Better relationship and communication with patients

Question 21

How can meditation affect DNA?

Answer 21

Telomere maintenance

Question 22

What are the 7 pillars of wellbeing? (ESSENCE)

Answer 22

Education 
Stress management
Spirituality
exercise
Nutrition 
Connectedness
Environment