Positive psychology: mindfulness and its role within mental health nursing

Abstract

This is the fourth article in a series of articles that explores the meaning of positive psychology and the importance of applying the latest related research findings for the wellbeing of the mental health workforce. It will focus on mindfulness as a positive psychology intervention from its development to present day use and how it is relevant to mental health nursing. Finally, it will emphasise the importance of effective leadership in how the application of mindfulness can benefit the individual, the organisation and the client. The practical tasks provided in the boxes throughout the article will help the reader identify what mindfulness means for them and understand how to further develop its transferability through evidence-based, user-friendly exercises.

Experimental Mindfulness Intervention in an Emergency Department for Stress Management and Development of Positive Working Environment

“…Anxiety levels and negative emotions, including frustration, were higher in the control group than in the intervention group, which is in line with the results of other studies that support mindfulness meditation’s positive effect on managing negative emotions and anxiety [ 2 ].…”

“…Several methods are used to deal with the adverse effects of the modern lifestyle on mental health, one of them being mindfulness. In the early 21st century, the application of mindfulness caused an explosion of interest and excitement, influencing medicine, psychology, politics, education, and even the media, appearing as a health “trend” on the radio, television, and in mainstream and academic journals [ 2 ].…”

“…The implementation of these programs, in the majority of them, had a positive effect on the reduction and management of stress and improved and promoted the health and well-being of individuals both in the general population and in clinical practice [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]. Mindfulness-based interventions have increased interest among health workers who are exposed to emotional and physical vulnerability situations [ 5 , 6 , 7 ].…”

Positive psychology: social connectivity and its role within mental health nursing

“…It is important to look for the true cause of distress and lay a good foundation to keep things clearly under control. Using mindful techniques (Macfarlane and Weber, 2019) will help slow breathing and put things in perspective with appropriate reactions and not using inflammatory language. An effective method to manage difficult situations is to imagine your conversation is being filmed and will be shown to significant others later, this will encourage civility and assertiveness.…”