Health-care professionals in Italy showed moderate distress on measures of perceived stress and burnout at baseline, though overall psychological well-being was not in the distressed range. After an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, well-being, stress, and burnout scores significantly improved. In a subgroup, lipid profiles also showed significant benefits. MBSR may be a promising complementary tool for improving both mental and physical health in this worker population.
Healthcare professionals in Italy showed moderate distress levels that did not differ between those beginning Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training before versus after the pandemic, suggesting work-related distress was more influential than the pandemic itself. MBSR training reduced overall distress and fear of COVID-19, but depersonalization increased while emotional exhaustion decreased in one post-pandemic group. Psychological well-being declined with age, and fear of COVID-19 correlated positively with age. The authors propose MBSR as an effective strategy for reducing distress during emergencies and as part of general training for healthcare professionals.