Reducing stress and promoting well-being in healthcare workers using mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for life

Abstract

Background/Objective Healthcare workers play a critical role in the health of a nation, yet rates of healthcare worker stress are disproportionately high. We evaluated whether mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for life (MBCT-L), could reduce stress in healthcare workers and target a range of secondary outcomes. Method : This is the first parallel randomised controlled trial of MBCT-L. Participants were NHS workers, who were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either MBCT-L or wait-list. The primary outcome was self-reported stress at post-intervention. Secondary variables were well-being, depression, anxiety, and work-related outcomes. Mixed regressions were used. Mindfulness and self/other-compassion were explored as potential mechanisms of effects on stress and wellbeing. Results : We assigned 234 participants to MBCT-L ( n = 115) or to wait-list ( n = 119). 168 (72%) participants completed the primary outcome and of those who started the MBCT-L 73.40% ( n = 69) attended the majority of the sessions. MBCT-L ameliorated stress compared with controls ( B = 2.60, 95% CI = 1.63‒3.56; d = -0.72; p < .0001). Effects were also found for well-being, depression and anxiety, but not for work-related outcomes. Mindfulness and self-compassion mediated effects on stress and wellbeing. Conclusions : MBCT-L could be an effective and acceptable part of a wider healthcare workers well-being and mental health strategy.

Increases in External Sensory Observing Cross-Sectionally Mediate the Repair of Positive Affect Following Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Individuals with Residual Depression Symptoms

“…The MBCT-D curriculum still has a predominant focus on reducing unhelpful reactivity to negative mood, and only a handful of sessions explicitly target reward processing. There is scope to further refine the MBCT-D curriculum to more systematically target anhedonia in depression, for example, via integrating elements from the Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Life curriculum that help develop the capacity to savour (Strauss et al, 2021).…”

Feeling Informed and Safe Are Important Factors in the Psychosomatic Health of Frontline Workers in the Health Sector during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Austria

“…Factors that reduce vulnerability to stress-related disorders at work for healthcare professionals are, for example, yoga and physical exercise (for a review see [ 31 ]) or mindfulness training [ 32 ]. The positive effect of functional coping mechanisms to deal with daily challenges in the COVID-19 pandemic is also discussed in recent literature [ 33 , 34 , 35 ].…”

Mindfulness on Daily Life Coping in People Experiencing Psychosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…In addition, further research should explore how other cognitive variables, for example resilience ( Pérez-Aranda et al., 2021 ) or transdiagnostic processes ( Ramos et al., 2020 ), may mediate the effect of mindfulness in people experiencing psychosis. Further studies should also consider extending mindfulness to participants’ caregivers as it has beneficial effects for caregivers of people experiencing chronic disorders ( Blanco-Donoso et al., 2021 ; Calvete et al., 2021 ; Strauss et al., 2021 ). It is important to note that mindfulness applied to persistent psychotic symptoms is a tool for developing a mindset against distress and suffering, not just a soothing exercise that has become mere fashion ( Errasti-Pérez, Al-Halabí, López-Navarro, & Pérez-Álvarez ).…”