Addressing Stress Among Healthcare Workers Using Mindfulness-Based Interventions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22270/ajdhs.v4i2.89Keywords:
mindfulness training, mindfulness-based interventions, stress, burnout, healthcare workersAbstract
Stress is rampant among healthcare workers in different patient care settings. Healthcare workers are one of the groups that report high workplace stress levels with some studies reporting these levels to be as high as 70 to 90%. Stress was particularly rampant among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic because most workers were overwhelmed and could not provide the best care for their patients. Stress among healthcare workers is likely to continue because the work conditions that contribute to this high level of stress are becoming more rampant. For instance, demanding work, long and unpredictable work hours, and high administrative burdens continue to be rampant. Other factors such as an increase in the number of people affected by multiple chronic conditions and the aging workers are also putting a lot of strain on healthcare and among healthcare workers. Considering the staff shortages, taking care of people with numerous needs can increase stress levels which explains why healthcare workers report high levels of stress. Considering the negative effects of stress on healthcare workers' health and well-being, it is important to have effective interventions in place to deal with this stress such as mindfulness training. Research has shown that mindfulness-based interventions have a lot of potential when it comes to addressing work-related stress. It also helps to deal with depression and anxiety. To increase effectiveness, mindfulness training can also be incorporated as part of wellness programs in the workplace.
keywords: mindfulness training, mindfulness-based interventions, stress, burnout, healthcare workers
References
Prasad K, McLoughlin C, Stillman M, et al. Prevalence and correlates of stress and burnout among US healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a national cross-sectional survey study. EClinicalMedicine. 2021;35. PMid:34041456 PMCid:PMC8141518 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.100879
American Nurses Foundation. Pulse on the Nation's Nurses Survey Series: COVID-19 Two-Year Impact Assessment Survey. 2022. Available from: https://www.nursingworld.org/~4a2260/contentassets/872ebb13c63f44f6b11a1bd0c74907c9/covid-19-two-year-impact-assessment-written-report-final.pdf
Linzer M, Stillman M, Brown R, et al. Preliminary report: US physician stress during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Innovations, Quality & Outcomes. 2021;5(1):127-36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocpiqo.2021.01.005 PMid:33718790 PMCid:PMC7930845
Lebares CC, Guvva EV, Ascher NL, O'Sullivan PS, Harris HW, Epel ES. Burnout and stress among US surgery residents: psychological distress and resilience. Journal of the American College of Surgeons. 2018;226(1):80-90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2017.10.010 PMid:29107117
Jordan TR, Khubchandani J, Wiblishauser M. The impact of perceived stress and coping adequacy on the health of nurses: A pilot investigation. Nursing Research and Practice. 2016;2016(1):5843256. https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/5843256 PMid:27882246 PMCid:PMC5108847
Dyrbye LN, Shanafelt TD, Sinsky CA, et al. Burnout among health care professionals: a call to explore and address this underrecognized threat to safe, high-quality care. NAM Perspectives. 2017. Available from: https://iuhcpe.org/file_manager/1501524077-Burnout-Among-Health-Care-Professionals-A-Call-to-Explore-and-Address-This-Underrecognized-Threat.pdf https://doi.org/10.31478/201707b
Grandey AA. Emotional regulation in the workplace: A new way to conceptualize emotional labor. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology. 2000;5(1):95. https://doi.org/10.1037/1076-8998.5.1.95 PMid:10658889
Chen CC, Lan YL, Chiou SL, Lin YC. The effect of emotional labor on the physical and mental health of health professionals: Emotional exhaustion has a mediating effect. InHealthcare. 2022; 11 (1): 104. MDPI. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11010104 PMid:36611564 PMCid:PMC9819436
Koinis A, Giannou V, Drantaki V, Angelaina S, Stratou E, Saridi M. The impact of healthcare workers job environment on their mental-emotional health. Coping strategies: the case of a local general hospital. Health Psychology Research. 2015;3(1). https://doi.org/10.4081/hpr.2015.1984 PMid:26973958 PMCid:PMC4768542
Babapour AR, Gahassab-Mozaffari N, Fathnezhad-Kazemi A. Nurses' job stress and its impact on quality of life and caring behaviors: a cross-sectional study. BMC Nursing. 2022;21(1):75. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-022-00852-y PMid:35361204 PMCid:PMC8968092
Rink LC, Oyesanya TO, Adair KC, Humphreys JC, Silva SG, Sexton JB. Stressors among healthcare workers: a summative content analysis. Global qualitative nursing research. 2023;10:23333936231161127. https://doi.org/10.1177/23333936231161127 PMid:37020708 PMCid:PMC10068501
Burton A, Burgess C, Dean S, Koutsopoulou GZ, Hugh‐Jones S. How effective are mindfulness‐based interventions for reducing stress among healthcare professionals? A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Stress and Health. 2017;33(1):3-13. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.2673 PMid:26916333
Ruiz‐Fernández MD, Ortíz‐Amo R, Ortega‐Galán ÁM, Ibáñez‐Masero O, Rodríguez‐Salvador MD, Ramos‐Pichardo JD. Mindfulness therapies on health professionals. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing. 2020;29(2):127-40. https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.12652 PMid:31498549
Kabat-Zinn J. Mindfulness-based interventions in context: past, present, and future.2003. American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy/bpg016
Davis DM, Hayes JA. What are the benefits of mindfulness? A practice review of psychotherapy-related research. Psychotherapy. 2011;48(2):198. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0022062 PMid:21639664
Keng SL, Smoski MJ, Robins CJ. Effects of mindfulness on psychological health: A review of empirical studies. Clinical Psychology Review. 2011;31(6):1041-56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2011.04.006 PMid:21802619 PMCid:PMC3679190
Dunning DL, Griffiths K, Kuyken W, et al. Research Review: The effects of mindfulness‐based interventions on cognition and mental health in children and adolescents-a meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 2019;60(3):244-58. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12980 PMid:30345511 PMCid:PMC6546608
Grossman P, Niemann L, Schmidt S, Walach H. Mindfulness-based stress reduction and health benefits: A meta-analysis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 2004;57(1):35-43. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3999(03)00573-7 PMid:15256293
Khoury B, Sharma M, Rush SE, Fournier C. Mindfulness-based stress reduction for healthy individuals: A meta-analysis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 2015;78(6):519-28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2015.03.009 PMid:25818837
Niazi AK, Niazi SK. Mindfulness-based stress reduction: a non-pharmacological approach for chronic illnesses. North American Journal of Medical Sciences. 2011;3(1):20. https://doi.org/10.4297/najms.2011.320 PMid:22540058 PMCid:PMC3336928
Frostadottir AD, Dorjee D. Effects of mindfulness based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and compassion focused therapy (CFT) on symptom change, mindfulness, self-compassion, and rumination in clients with depression, anxiety, and stress. Frontiers in Psychology. 2019;10:1099. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01099 PMid:31164849 PMCid:PMC6534108
Tickell A, Ball S, Bernard P, et al. The effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) in real-world healthcare services. Mindfulness. 2020;11:279-90. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-018-1087-9 PMid:32064009 PMCid:PMC6995449
Sipe WE, Eisendrath SJ. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy: theory and practice. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. 2012;57(2):63-9. https://doi.org/10.1177/070674371205700202 PMid:22340145
Williams JM, Russell I, Russell D. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy: further issues in current evidence and future research. J Consult Clin Psychology. 2008;76 (3): 524-529. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.76.3.524 PMid:18540746 PMCid:PMC2834575
MacKenzie MB, Abbott KA, Kocovski NL. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in patients with depression: current perspectives. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment. 2018:1599-605. https://doi.org/10.2147/NDT.S160761 PMid:29950842 PMCid:PMC6018485
Kuyken W, Warren FC, Taylor RS, et al. Efficacy of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in prevention of depressive relapse: an individual patient data meta-analysis from randomized trials. JAMA Psychiatry. 2016;73(6):565-74. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2016.0076 PMid:27119968 PMCid:PMC6640038
Hilton L, Hempel S, Ewing BA, et al. Mindfulness meditation for chronic pain: systematic review and meta-analysis. Annals of Behavioral Medicine. 2017;51(2):199-213. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-016-9844-2 PMid:27658913 PMCid:PMC5368208
Joshi AM, Mehta SA, Pande N, Mehta AO, Randhe KS. Effect of Mindfulness-Based Art Therapy (MBAT) on psychological distress and spiritual wellbeing in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Indian Journal of Palliative Care. 2021;27(4):552. https://doi.org/10.25259/IJPC_133_21 PMid:34898951 PMCid:PMC8655656
Fuchs C, Lee JK, Roemer L, Orsillo SM. Using mindfulness-and acceptance-based treatments with clients from nondominant cultural and/or marginalized backgrounds: Clinical considerations, meta-analysis findings, and introduction to the special series: Clinical considerations in using acceptance-and mindfulness-based treatments with diverse populations. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice. 2013;20(1):1-2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpra.2011.12.004 PMid:26294894 PMCid:PMC4539954
Fiabane E, Giorgi I, Sguazzin C, Argentero P. Work engagement and occupational stress in nurses and other healthcare workers: the role of organisational and personal factors. Journal of Clinical Nursing. 2013;22(17-18):2614-24. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.12084 PMid:23551268
Keykaleh MS, Safarpour H, Yousefian S, Faghisolouk F, Mohammadi E, Ghomian Z. The relationship between nurse's job stress and patient safety. Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences. 2018;6(11):2228. https://doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2018.351 PMid:30559893 PMCid:PMC6290432
Zeller JM, Levin PF. Mindfulness interventions to reduce stress among nursing personnel: An occupational health perspective. Workplace Health & Safety. 2013;61(2):85-9. https://doi.org/10.1177/216507991306100207 PMid:23336129
Zhang D, Lee EK, Mak EC, Ho CY, Wong SY. Mindfulness-based interventions: an overall review. British Medical Bulletin. 2021;138(1):41-57. https://doi.org/10.1093/bmb/ldab005 PMid:33884400 PMCid:PMC8083197
Kemper KJ, Khirallah M. Acute effects of online mind-body skills training on resilience, mindfulness, and empathy. Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine. 2015;20(4):247-53. https://doi.org/10.1177/2156587215575816 PMid:25783980
Shapiro SL, Schwartz GE, Bonner G. Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on medical and premedical students. Journal of Behavioral Medicine. 1998;21:581-99. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018700829825 PMid:9891256
Creswell JD, Lindsay EK, Villalba DK, Chin B. Mindfulness training and physical health: mechanisms and outcomes. Psychosomatic Medicine. 2019;81(3):224-32. https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000000675 PMid:30806634 PMCid:PMC6613793
Dave P, How Digital Health is Revolutionizing Healthcare and Contributing to Positive Health Outcomes, Journal of Drug Delivery and Therapeutics. 2024; 14(6):287-293 https://doi.org/10.22270/jddt.v14i6.6640
Gu J, Strauss C, Bond R, Cavanagh K. How do mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction improve mental health and wellbeing? A systematic review and meta-analysis of mediation studies. Clinical Psychology Review. 2015;37:1-2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2015.01.006 PMid:25689576
Penque S. Mindfulness to promote nurses' well-being. Nursing Management. 2019;50(5):38-44. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NUMA.0000557621.42684.c4 PMid:30985526 PMCid:PMC6716566
Farias M, Wikholm C. Has the science of mindfulness lost its mind?. BJPsych Bulletin. 2016;40(6):329-32. https://doi.org/10.1192/pb.bp.116.053686 PMid:28377813 PMCid:PMC5353526
Britton WB. Can mindfulness be too much of a good thing? The value of a middle way. Current Opinion in Psychology. 2019;28:159-65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2018.12.011 PMid:30708288 PMCid:PMC6612475
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Citations
Copyright (c) 2024 Pallav Dave
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.