An Online Mindfulness-based Intervention Decreases Stress, Anxiety, and Depression in Indian Healthcare Providers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Study.
Anirban Pal, Purnava Mukhopadhyay, Nidhi D Pal
Journal of the Association of Physicians of India December 1, 2024 DOI: 10.59556/japi.72.0767 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Indian healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based intervention |
| Topics | Anxiety Depression Meditation |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key findings | An online brief mindfulness-based intervention significantly reduced stress, anxiety, and depression and improved mindfulness characteristics and quality of life in Indian healthcare providers compared to usual care. |
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic contributed enormously to the psychosocial distress of Indian healthcare providers. The mental well-being of the healthcare community remains an underappreciated priority in India. The primary objective was to observe the results of an online brief mindfulness-based intervention on stress, anxiety, and depression, and the secondary objective was to examine its effects on mindfulness characteristics and World health Organization (WHO) quality of life among Indian healthcare providers during pandemic times. The study population was randomized into two groups to attend either "mindfulness" sessions or "usual care" sessions. The outcome variables were stress (using the perceived stress scale: PSS), anxiety (generalized anxiety disorder scores: GAD7), depression (patient health questionnaire: PHQ9), mindfulness characteristics (Freiburg mindfulness inventory: FMI), and quality of life (WHO-QOL100). These variables were recorded pre- and postprogram. Statistical analysis included the use of unpaired and paired t -tests. The postsession mean scores in the "mindfulness" group compared to the "usual care" group decreased significantly in PSS, GAD7, and PHQ9, with p < 0.0001, p = 0.0102, and p = 0.0462, respectively. There was an increase in FMI with p < 0.0001 and in WHO-QOL domains 1, 2, and 4, with p = 0.0008, p < 0.0001, and p = 0.0194, respectively. The online brief mindfulness-based intervention created a positive effect on stress, anxiety, and depression. The postprogram mindfulness characteristics and WHO quality of life also improved in Indian healthcare providers during pandemic times. Further large-scale research will be needed to support these beneficial effects.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on anxiety, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cites 7
- Effect of an online mindfulness program on stress in Indian adults during COVID-19 pandemic: A randomized controlled preliminary study. Indian Journal of Psychiatry 2022
- E-mental health mindfulness-based and skills-based ‘CoPE It’ intervention to reduce psychological distress in times of COVID-19: study protocol for a bicentre longitudinal study BMJ Open May 28, 2021
- Coping With COVID-19: Mindfulness-Based Approaches for Mitigating Mental Health Crisis. Frontiers in Psychiatry 2021
- Stress and Coping Among Health Professions Students During COVID-19: A Perspective on the Benefits of Mindfulness. Global Advances in Health and Medicine December 13, 2020
- Mindfulness as a way to cope with COVID‐19‐related stress and anxiety December 13, 2020
and 2 more in the library