Mindfulness-based interventions for improving mental health of frontline healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review.
Gemma Benavides-Gil, Fermín Martínez-zaragoza, Jordi Fernández-castro, Alicia Sánchez-pérez, Rosa García-sierra
Systematic reviews June 20, 2024 DOI: 10.1186/s13643-024-02574-5 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 28 |
| Population | Healthcare professionals working in healthcare centers during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based interventions |
| Topics | Anxiety Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Burnout Covid-19 Health care professionals Mental health Mindfulness-based intervention Stress Systematic review |
| Citations | 22 |
| Key findings | Mindfulness-based interventions improved stress, mindfulness, and mental well-being in healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic, but showed no conclusive effect on burnout, anxiety, depression, sleep quality, or resilience. |
Abstract
Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) appear to be effective for improving the mental health of healthcare professionals (HCPs). However, the effectiveness of MBIs on extreme psychological trauma caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is largely unknown. The aim of this paper was to systematically review empirical studies of MBIs for HCPs carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic, to evaluate them and their effectiveness in different areas of mental health. The electronic databases searched were Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and PsycINFO. The date when each database was last searched was September 15, 2023. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), non-randomized controlled trials (NRCTs), and non-randomized non-controlled trials (NRNCTs) focused on MBIs for health care staff who were working in healthcare centers during the COVID-19 pandemic were included. All of them employed standardized measures of mental health. The review followed the best practices and reported using PRISMA guidelines. A data collection form, adapted from the Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews of interventions, was used to extract and synthesize the results. The methods used to assess the risk of bias in the included studies were the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool and the ROBINS-I Tool. Twenty-eight studies were included in the systematic review. Overall, the methodological quality of the studies was moderate. The results showed the effectiveness of MBIs in improving levels of stress, mindfulness, and mental well-being. However, no conclusive results were found regarding the effectiveness of MBIs in improving the levels of burnout, anxiety, depression, sleep quality, and resilience of HCPs. The MBIs for HCPs carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic have mainly contributed to improving stress, mindfulness, and mental well-being at a time of serious health emergency. However, more robust studies at a methodological level would have been desirable. PROSPERO CRD42021267621.