Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Training on Healthcare Professionals’ Mental Health: Results from a Pilot Study Testing Its Predictive Validity in a Specialized Hospital Setting (original) (raw)
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Spanish Journal of Psychology, 2010
This semi-experimental study examines how Mindfulness facilitates a distress reduction in a group of health professionals. The sample comprises 29 professionals seeking stress reduction who undertook an 8 weeks psico-educative intervention, involving 28 hours of class, based on a program called Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction or MBSR. Results show a 35% reduction of distress, from percentile 75 to 45, combined with a 30% reduction in rumination and a 20% decrease in negative affect. These benefits lasted during the 3 months of the follow up period. The correlation analysis indicates that the decrease in distress is significantly related to the other two variables. These results confirm the effectiveness of MBSR to decrease distress and its applicability in training programs for health professionals.
Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 2009
Demands faced by health care professionals include heavy caseloads, limited control over the work environment, long hours, as well as organizational structures and systems in transition. Such conditions have been directly linked to increased stress and symptoms of burnout, which in turn, have adverse consequences for clinicians and the quality of care that is provided to patients. Consequently, there exists an impetus for the development of curriculum aimed at fostering wellness and the necessary self-care skills for clinicians. This review will examine the potential benefits of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) programs aimed at enhancing well-being and coping with stress in this population. Empirical evidence indicates that participation in MBSR yields benefits for clinicians in the domains of physical and mental health. Conceptual and methodological limitations of the existing studies and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Health Care Professionals: Results From a Randomized Trial
International Journal of Stress Management, 2005
The literature is replete with evidence that the stress inherent in health care negatively impacts health care professionals, leading to increased depression, decreased job satisfaction, and psychological distress. In an attempt to address this, the current study examined the effects of a short-term stress management program, mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), on health care professionals. Results from this prospective randomized controlled pilot study suggest that an 8-week MBSR intervention may be effective for reducing stress and increasing quality of life and self-compassion in health care professionals. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine, 2021
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is an evidence-based health education program for medical patients with a variety of chronic conditions. MBSR also benefits health care providers themselves, decreasing work-related stress and preventing burnout. The objectives of this study were to describe an abbreviated MBSR curriculum developed for health care providers and to present initial program evaluation data assessing acceptability and outcomes. This program was implemented outside the research context with an open trial design. Mindfulness training sessions were held in a conference room at the administrative offices of a large, non-profit community health care system. Five clinic providers, three male and two female, included four primary care physicians and one social worker. All five participants participated in and completed the training. A six-session abbreviated MBSR protocol was developed. Participants attended weekly two-hour group sessions scheduled at the end of the wo...
Australasian Psychiatry, 2016
Objectives: Mental health professionals are particularly susceptible to occupational stress; however, there are limited formal programmes to address the problem. This paper discusses the preliminary results of a brief mindfulnessbased stress reduction (MBSR) programme for practising professionals in a public hospital mental health unit. Method: A mixed-group of nine mental health professionals participated in eight weeks of daily 15-minute MBSR training interspersed with three 30-minute education sessions developed by the authors (AD and AT). Levels of psychological distress and mindfulness skill were measured before and immediately after participation. Results: Following the brief MBSR programme, quantitative and qualitative participant feedback revealed a perceived reduction in psychological distress. Conclusions: A brief MBSR programme can be incorporated into the full-time workloads of practicing mental health professionals, potentially addressing a significant unmet workplace need.
JAMA Network Open
IMPORTANCE Stress among health care professionals is well documented. The use of mindfulnessbased interventions to reduce stress has shown promising results; however, the time commitment of typical programs can be a barrier to successful implementation in health care settings. OBJECTIVE To determine the efficacy and feasibility of a brief mindfulness-based program to reduce stress during work hours among health care professionals. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This intent-to-treat randomized clinical trial was conducted among full-time health care professionals at the Clinical Center at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, between September 2017 and May 2018. Participants were randomized to receive mindfulness-based self-care (MBSC) training or life-as-usual control. Data were analyzed from June 2018 to January 2020. INTERVENTIONS The MBSC intervention included 5 weekly, 1.5-hour in-class mindfulness practice sessions. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Stress level was the primary outcome, assessed with the Perceived Stress Scale 10-Item version. Secondary outcomes included anxiety, burnout, positive and negative affect, mindfulness (trait and state), and self-care. Assessments were taken at baseline and at the end of the intervention (week 5) in the intervention and control groups, and at follow-up (week 13) in the intervention group to test for a maintenance effect. A postprogram evaluation was also obtained. RESULTS Of 82 randomized participants, 78 who completed the study at week 5 were included in the modified intent-to-treat analysis (median [interquartile range] age, 32 [23-48] years; 65 [83%] women), including 43 participants in the MBSC group and 35 participants in the control group. At the end of the intervention, compared with the control group, the MBSC group had reduced levels of stress (mean [SD] score, 17.29 [5.84] vs 18.54 [6.30]; P = .02) and anxiety (mean [SD] score, 2.58 [1.52] vs 4.23 [1.73]; P < .001), and improved positive affect (mean [SD] score, 35.69 [7.12] vs 31.42 [7.27]; P < .001), state mindfulness (mean [SD] score, 3.74 [1.18] vs 2.78 [1.16]; P < .001), and mindful self-care (mean [SD] score, 7.29 [2.44] vs 5.54 [2.77]; P < .001). Burnout, negative affect, and trait mindfulness levels did not differ between groups. Changes within the MBSC group through follow-up included sustained reductions in stress (change,-6.14; 95% CI,-7.84 to-4.44; P < .001), anxiety (change,-1.46; 95% CI,-1.97 to-0.94; P < .001), trait mindfulness (change, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.90; P < .001), and state mindfulness (change, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.39 to 2.39; P < .001).
Journal of Psychiatric Research, 2020
Objectives: Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has been found to reduce psychological distress and improve psychological adjustment in medical, psychiatric, and nonclinical samples. We examined its effects on several processes, attitudes, and behavior patterns related to emotion regulation. Design: Fifty-six adults were randomly assigned to MBSR or to a waiting list (WL). Results: Compared with WL completers (n 5 21), MBSR completers (n 5 20) reported significantly greater increases in trait mindfulness and decreases in absent-mindedness, greater increases in selfcompassion, and decreases in fear of emotions, suppression of anger, aggressive anger expression, worry, and difficulties regulating emotions. The WL group subsequently received MBSR, and the two groups combined showed significant changes on all of these variables from pre-MBSR to post-MBSR, and on all except the 2 anger variables from pre-test to 2-month follow-up, as well as significant reductions in rumination. Conclusion: An 8-week mindfulness training program might increase mindful awareness in daily life and have beneficial impact on clinically relevant emotion regulation processes.
Workplace stress is high among healthcare professionals (HCPs) and is associated with reduced psychological health, quality of care and patient satisfaction. This systematic review and meta-analysis reviews evidence on the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for reducing stress in HCPs. A systematic literature search was conducted. Papers were screened for suitability using inclusion criteria and nine papers were subjected to review and quality assessment. Seven papers, for which full statistical findings could be obtained, were also subjected to meta-analysis. Results of the meta-analysis suggest that MBIs have the potential to significantly improve stress among HCPs; however, there was evidence of a file drawer problem. The quality of the studies was high in relation to the clarity of aims, data collection and analysis, but weaker in terms of sample size and the use of theoretical frameworks. MBIs have the potential to reduce stress among HCPs; however, more high-quality research is needed before this finding can be confirmed. Future studies would benefit from long-term follow-up measures to determine any continuing effects of mindfulness training on stress outcomes.
Mindfulness: Assessing the Feasibility of a Pilot Intervention to Reduce Stress and Burnout
Journal of Holistic Nursing, 2018
Purpose: To examine the feasibility of a brief mindfulness intervention and to reduce nurse stress and burnout in an inpatient medical unit. Design: Single-arm, pre/post test study design. Method: Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), and pre/post demographic questionnaires given at pre-intervention (baseline) and 6 weeks post-intervention. Intervention effectiveness was compared between the pre-survey ( N = 52) and post-survey ( N = 33). Five choices were offered to inpatient staff: a guided mindfulness CD, soothing sounds machine with a breathing technique instructional, mindfulness prompts, a journal, and water/snacks during six consecutive weekends. Findings: The mean PSS score did not improve and demonstrated a slight increase during the six-weekend intervention. However, mean MBI scores for the subscales of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization did demonstrate improvement as evident by decreased scores. Additionally, the mean MBI score for the sub...
Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on employees' mental health: A systematic review
PLoS ONE, 2018
The purpose of this exploratory study was to obtain greater insight into the effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) on the mental health of employees. Methods Using PsycINFO, PubMed, and CINAHL, we performed a systematic review in October 2015 of studies investigating the effects of MBSR and MBCT on various aspects of employees' mental health. Studies with a pre-post design (i.e. without a control group) were excluded. Results 24 articles were identified, describing 23 studies: 22 on the effects of MBSR and 1 on the effects of MBSR in combination with some aspects of MBCT. Since no study focused exclusively on MBCT, its effects are not described in this systematic review. Of the 23 studies, 2 were of high methodological quality, 15 were of medium quality and 6 were of low quality. A meta-analysis was not performed due to the emergent and relatively uncharted nature of the topic of investigation, the exploratory character of this study, and the diversity of outcomes in the studies reviewed. Based on our analysis, the strongest outcomes were reduced levels of emotional exhaustion (a dimension of burnout), stress, psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and occupational stress. Improvements were found in terms of mindfulness, personal accomplishment (a dimension of burnout), (occupational) self-compassion, quality of sleep, and relaxation. Conclusion The results of this systematic review suggest that MBSR may help to improve psychological functioning in employees.