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A Transcultural Spiritually Based Program to Enhance Caregiving Self-Efficacy: A Pilot Study

University of California at Berkeley, DougOman{at}post.Harvard.edu

John Hedberg, MD

University of Colorado Medical School

David Downs, MD

University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver Medical Society

Debra Parsons, MD

Internal Medicine Residency at Exempla St. Joseph Hospital

This study examined how training in a nonsectarian toolkit of spiritually based self-management techniques affected the caregiving self-efficacy (confidence) of health professionals, including physicians, nurses, psychologists, and chaplains. Before and after an 8-week, 2-hour per week training in the meditation-based Eight Point Program of Easwaran (1978/1991b), participants (n = 14) completed a newly developed 32-item caregiving self-efficacy questionnaire. Data were also gathered regarding sociodemographic characteristics, spiritual and religious self-perceptions and practices, and program adherence. Results indicated that mean pre/post self-efficacy increases were large (Cohen's d > 0.80), statistically significant (p < 0.01), and associated with greater use of specific pro-gram practices. Three participants reported increases in self-perceived spirituality. Self-efficacy increases were largest for participants identifying themselves as least spiritual at pretest (p < 0.05), or reporting increases in spirituality (p < 0.05). Although preliminary, these findings support using this already widely crossculturally disseminated toolkit for a variety of purposes in clinical practice, health promotion, and health professional education.

Key Words: religion • wisdom • end-of-life issues • medical education • meditation

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