Brief Mindfulness Practices for Healthcare Providers - A Systematic Literature Review.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine the effects of brief mindfulness interventions on the well-being and behavior of healthcare providers.
Results Summary
Nine of 14 studies reported positive changes in stress, anxiety, mindfulness, resiliency, and burnout symptoms, but no studies found an effect on provider behavior. Brief mindfulness interventions may improve provider well-being, but larger studies are needed to assess clinical impact.
Population
Hospital healthcare providers
Effective Dosage
≤ 4 hours (brief interventions)
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mindfulness practice | decrease | symptoms of anxiety, burnout, and depression | - | - | can improve | #1 |
brief mindfulness interventions | decrease | levels of stress, anxiety, mindfulness, resiliency, and burnout symptoms | hospital providers | - | reported positive changes in | #2 |
brief mindfulness interventions | no change | provider behavior | hospital providers | no significant change | No studies found an effect on | #3 |
brief mindfulness interventions | increase | provider well-being | hospital providers | - | may be effective in improving | #4 |
Mindfulness practice, where an individual maintains openness, patience, and acceptance while focusing attention on a situation in a nonjudgmental way, can improve symptoms of anxiety, burnout, and depression. The practice is relevant for health care providers; however, the time commitment is a barrier to practice. For this reason, brief mindfulness interventions (eg, ≤ 4 hours) are being introduced. We systematically reviewed the literature from inception to January 2017 about the effects of brief mindfulness interventions on provider well-being and behavior. Studies that tested a brief mindfulness intervention with hospital providers and measured change in well-being (eg, stress) or behavior (eg, tasks of attention or reduction of clinical or diagnostic errors) were selected for narrative synthesis. Fourteen studies met inclusion criteria; 7 were randomized controlled trials. Nine of 14 studies reported positive changes in levels of stress, anxiety, mindfulness, resiliency, and burnout symptoms. No studies found an effect on provider behavior. Brief mindfulness interventions may be effective in improving provider well-being; however, larger studies are needed to assess an impact on clinical care.