The effects of loving-kindness meditation on doctors’ communication anxiety, trust, calling and defensive medicine practice

Abstract Objective The study investigated the effects of loving-kindness meditation (LKM) on doctors’ communication anxiety, trust, calling, and defensive medicine practice. Methods This study recruited 94 doctors from a hospital in China, randomized them to an LKM group (n = 47), and waited for the control group (n = 47). The experimental group accepted an 8-week LKM interference while the waiting for the control group underwent no interference. Researchers measured four major variable factors (communication anxiety, trust, calling, and defensive medicine practice) before and after the LKM intervention. Results In the experimental group, trust, and calling were significantly higher, and communication anxiety, and defensive medicine practice were significantly lower than in the control group. In the control group, there were no noticeable differences in any of the four variables between the pre-test and post-test. Conclusions The results of this study demonstrate that LKM may help to improve trust, and calling, and reduce communication anxiety and defensive medicine practice. The finding of LKM’s effect extends the understanding of the integrative effects of positive psychology on the decrease of defensive medicine practice. Trial registration ChiCTR2300074568. Registered in Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR), 9 August, 2023.