Mindfulness interventions reduce stress in medical students by a small-to-moderate amount. A systematic review and meta-analysis of 35 studies found that these interventions significantly improved stress levels in both two-arm studies (effect size 0.37) and one-arm pre-post studies (effect size 0.29). Trends from moderator analyses suggested that fewer hours and less required practice led to better stress improvement. The findings confirm that a wide variety of mindfulness programs worldwide produce consistent stress reduction in this high-stress population.
Repeated intravenous ketamine infusions are no more effective than a placebo (midazolam) for reducing depressive symptoms in inpatients with moderate to severe depression. In a randomized clinical trial, there was no statistically significant difference between the ketamine and midazolam groups on the primary outcome of depression severity at the end of treatment. No significant differences were found on secondary measures of efficacy, cognition, economic outcomes, or quality of life. These results do not support a superior antidepressant effect for serial intravenous ketamine as an addition to usual inpatient care.