UC Mindful Health & Safety Research: An Innovative Approach to Injury Reduction

UC Mindful Health & Safety Research: An Innovative Approach to Injury Reduction Jessica Drew de Paz, PsyD Mindfulness & Safety Research Coordinator Environmental Health & Safety, UC Irvine Donald E. Maurer, MD Instructor, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Susan Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine, UC Irvine

Agenda 1. UC Irvine Injuries & Root Causes 2. Stress & Mind Wandering: Role in Illness & Injury 3. Mindfulness: An Antidote to Stress & Mind Wandering 4. Mindfulness Research 5. UC Mindful Health & Safety Research

UCI Campus 2010 Injury Investigation Metrics

Stress

Fight or Flight Response

Maladaptive Human Response

The Role of Stress in Illness

Mind Wandering

Mind Wandering Researchers analyzed 2250 adults during common activities Conclusion: If you want to stay cheerful, focus on the present, no matter how unpleasant it is

The Role of Stress & Mind Wandering in Injuries

Need to Train Mind

The faculty of voluntarily bringing back a wandering attention, over and over again, is the very root of judgment, character and will... An education which should improve this faculty would be the education par excellence. But it is easier to define this ideal than to give practical directions for bringing it about. William James, 1890, The Principles of Psychology

Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D.

Mindfulness Paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Program 8 weeks 2 hours/week One 6-hour retreat Supportive Group Develop Practice Body scan Yoga based-movement Sitting & walking meditations Literature & Poetry Interwoven

MBSR Offered Worldwide

Workplace Applications

Mindfulness Meditation It s about retraining your attention Becoming aware when your mind is wandering Knowing where your attention is Being aware of & letting go of distractions Having a kind, open, curious attitude to your present moment experience, whatever it is

Mindful Break

Mindfulness Research Centers Columbia Duke Eisenhower Medical Center Harvard Oxford Kaiser Permanente Scripps Stanford U Mass Medical School UCLA UCSD Numerous Programs Worldwide

Growth in Mindfulness Research

Summary of Research Findings Physical Health Reduces chronic pain, headaches, blood pressure, cholesterol Improves immune function Mental Health Reduces stress, anxiety, depression & substance use Healthy & Workplace Populations Reduces stress, depression Improves immune response, sleep & overall well-being

Neuroscience

Attention

Improves Working Memory Capacity & GRE Performance While Reducing Mind Wandering Schooler, J. et.al., Psychological Science May 2013 vol. 24 no. 5 776-781

Job Performance

Safety Mindfulness May Improve Driving Performance by: Increasing environmental awareness Enabling people to block out distractions & quickly identify hazards Texting-While-Driving Young adults lower in mindfulness texted more

Mindfulness Keep Within Reach Of Everyone

UC Mindful Health & Safety Research UCI EH&S proposed idea to UCOP UCOP agreed to fund UC Center of Excellence Aim: Explore potential for Mindful Health & Safety program to improve workplace health & safety record

Research Steps 1) Build Collaborative Research Team 2) Adapt MBSR to Integrate Safety 3) Obtain IRB Approval 4) Apply for Funding 5) Pilot at UCI & other UCs

Hypothesis Compared to the active control, those in the mindfulness-based program will demonstrate: Reduced Increased - Work-related injuries - Attention - Medication errors - Productivity - Organizational costs - Job retention - Stress levels - Quality of life - Sick days

Informal Pilot at UC Irvine EH&S Staff & Facilities Management Managers Approximately 20 participants Abbreviated protocol (12 vs. 22 hours) ¾ Surveys Demonstrated Statistical Significance Mindful Attention Awareness Scale Perceived Stress Scale Perceived Stress Reactivity Scale

Participant Feedback I have a lot of things going on, lots of input, lots of stressors. Now I think, I really should be paying attention to the road, and the red light, and the person walking. What I ve realized about myself is this rush to hurriedness underlying what I do, including washing the dishes. I even timed myself doing the dishes stressed and doing it taking my time, and it was the same time. It s like... Wow! There is this stress that I m creating that s not even real. This helps make you more productive, and it also helps us in our personal lives, to enjoy some of those good moments, be healthier, be good to yourself. It offers everybody something.