Posttraumatic stress symptoms in palliative care professionals seeking mindfulness training: Prevalence and vulnerability

O’Mahony, Sean; Gerhart, James; Grosse, Johanna; Abrams, Ira; Levy, Mitchell M.

doi:10.1177/0269216315596459

Cited by 39 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 20 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…However, relying solely on self-protection strategies can also strain well-being over the long-term [11, 12]. In fact, a recent study investigating the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, depression and coping revealed that practitioners who are prone to avoidant coping strategies may have a higher risk for developing posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms [13]. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mindfulness and compassion-oriented practices at work reduce distress and enhance self-care of palliative care teams: a mixed-method evaluation of an “on the job“ program

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundMaintaining a sense of self-care while providing patient centered care, can be difficult for practitioners in palliative medicine. We aimed to pilot an “on the job” mindfulness and compassion-oriented meditation training for interdisciplinary teams designed to reduce distress, foster resilience and strengthen a prosocial motivation in the clinical encounter.MethodsOur objective was to explore the feasibility and effectiveness of this newly developed training. The study design was an observational, mixed-method pilot evaluation, with qualitative data, self-report data, as well as objective data (cortisol) measured before and after the program.Twenty-eight staff members of an interdisciplinary palliative care team participated in the 10-week training conducted at their workplace.Measures were the Perceived Stress Questionnaire, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the somatic complaints subscale of the SCL-90-R, the Emotion Regulation Skills Questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and a Goal Attainment Scale that assessed two individual goals. Semi-structured interviews were employed to gain insight into the perceived outcomes and potential mechanisms of action of the training. T-tests for dependent samples were employed to test for differences between baseline and post-intervention.ResultsSignificant improvements were found in two of three burnout components (emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment), anxiety, stress, two emotional regulation competences and joy at work. Furthermore, 85% of the individual goals were attained. Compliance and acceptance rates were high and qualitative data revealed a perceived enhancement of self-care, the integration of mindful pauses in work routines, a reduction in rumination and distress generated in the patient contact as well as an enhancement of interpersonal connection skills. An improvement of team communication could also be identified.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that the training may be a feasible, effective and practical way of reducing caregiver-distress and enhancing the resources of palliative care teams.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mindfulness and compassion-oriented practices at work reduce distress and enhance self-care of palliative care teams: a mixed-method evaluation of an “on the job“ program

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Mindfulness training for nurses also enhances positive cognitive retraining (Luberto et al, ), an outcome that has been corroborated by studies of brain images, which have shown that mindfulness training produces increases in brain activity, associated with positive moods and the regulation of emotions (Guillaumie, Boiral, & Champagne, ; Huang et al, ; Young et al, ). Some researchers have even observed improvements in reactions to posttraumatic situations (Meyer et al, ; O'Mahony, Gerhart, Grosse, Abrams, & Levy, ) and even positive effects on stress biomarkers such as reduction in cortisol salivary cortisol levels (Veiga et al, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of mindfulness training on burnout syndrome in nursing: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Suleiman‐Martos

Gómez‐Urquiza

Aguayo‐Estremera

et al. 2020

Journal of Advanced Nursing

146

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Aim To analyse the effect of mindfulness training on levels of burnout among nurses. Background Burnout syndrome is a common occupational hazard for nursing staff. Mindfulness training has been proposed as a valid intervention for burnout. Design Systematic review and meta‐analysis. Data sources The CINAHL, LILACS, Medline, ProQuest, PsycINFO, Scielo and Scopus databases were consulted, using the search equation ‘Nurs * AND burnout AND mindfulness’. There was no restriction on the year of publication. Review methods Papers were selected for analysis in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. The meta‐analysis was carried out using Review Manager 5.3 software. Results The sample was of 17 articles including 632 nurses. Mindfulness training reduces levels of burnout, producing lower scores for emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and higher for personal accomplishment. The differences in the means were 1.32 (95% CI: −9.41–6.78), 1.91 (95% CI: −4.50–0.68) and 2.12 (95% CI: −9.91–14.14), respectively, between the intervention and control groups. Conclusion Mindfulness training reduces the emotional burden and hence levels of burnout, among nurses. However, further randomized clinical trials are required.

show abstract

“…These findings converge with other studies documenting similar rates of PTSD in health care professionals. 1,14 More work is needed to clarify the predictors, presentation, and consequences of PTSD in pediatric oncology professionals.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Professionals providing medical care to children with cancer may derive a sense of meaning and purpose in their work. However, frequent exposure to patient trauma and mortality may elicit symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) . PTSD is conceptualized to arise in response to life‐threatening events that threaten core beliefs and expectations, including through the repeated witnessing or hearing of others' trauma as part of one's professional role .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, frequent exposure to patient trauma and mortality may elicit symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 1 PTSD is conceptualized to arise in response to life-threatening events that threaten core beliefs and expectations, including through the repeated witnessing or hearing of others' trauma as part of one's professional role. [2][3][4] Review of epidemiological studies suggests that PTSD affects less than 7% of the population over the lifetime.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Posttraumatic stress disorder and posttraumatic growth in a national sample of pediatric oncology professionals

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Posttraumatic stress symptoms in palliative care professionals seeking mindfulness training: Prevalence and vulnerability

Abstract: Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms may be common among professionals working in palliative medicine. Professionals prone to avoidant coping and those with more rigid negative thought processes may be at higher risk for posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms.

Cited by 39 publications

References 20 publications

Mindfulness and compassion-oriented practices at work reduce distress and enhance self-care of palliative care teams: a mixed-method evaluation of an “on the job“ program

Mindfulness and compassion-oriented practices at work reduce distress and enhance self-care of palliative care teams: a mixed-method evaluation of an “on the job“ program

The effect of mindfulness training on burnout syndrome in nursing: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Posttraumatic stress disorder and posttraumatic growth in a national sample of pediatric oncology professionals

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About