Mindfulness-based stress reduction and mental health in department of emergency nurses: A narrative review.
Rong-Rong Zhou, Ling-Long Chen, Le-Dan Lin
World Journal of Psychiatry September 19, 2025 DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i9.107630 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Narrative review Longitudinal Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Emergency department nurses |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based stress reduction |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Emergency department nurses Emotional regulation Job satisfaction Mental health Mindfulness-based stress reduction Occupational stress |
| Key findings | MBSR reduces anxiety, depressive symptoms, and emotional exhaustion while improving workplace well-being, empathy, and job satisfaction among emergency department nurses. |
Abstract
Emergency department nurses face severe occupational stress leading to anxiety, depression, and burnout, which significantly impair their well-being and patient-care quality. This narrative review examined the role of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) in addressing these challenges. Rooted in nonjudgmental present-moment awareness, MBSR enhances emotional regulation and reduces psychological distress by fostering adaptive coping strategies. Studies have demonstrated its efficacy in lowering anxiety, depressive symptoms, and emotional exhaustion, while improving workplace well-being, empathy, and job satisfaction. Mechanistically, MBSR improves interoceptive awareness and autonomic balance, as evidenced by physiological markers such as heart rate variability. However, gaps remain in long-term efficacy assessments, personalized interventions, and integration with multidisciplinary approaches. Future research should prioritize tailored biomarker-driven programs, longitudinal studies, and scalable implementation strategies in high-stress clinical settings. This review underscores MBSR's potential as a sustainable, evidence-based tool to enhance emergency department nurses' mental health and professional performance, advocating for broader adoption and further refinement of its practical applications.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical populations | 2003 | Review | |
| Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects | 2007 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Interventions | 2016 | Review | |
| Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation | 2017 | Review | |
| Mindfulness and acceptance: expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition | 2005 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cites 12
- Effects of a mindfulness-based interventions on stress, burnout in nurses: a systematic review and meta-analysis Frontiers in Psychiatry August 3, 2023
- Being Mindful at University: A Pilot Evaluation of the Feasibility of an Online Mindfulness-Based Mental Health Support Program for Students Frontiers in Psychology January 11, 2021
- Experimental Mindfulness Intervention in an Emergency Department for Stress Management and Development of Positive Working Environment Healthcare March 17, 2023
- Exploring the sustained impact of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program: a thematic analysis Frontiers in Psychology July 19, 2024
- Effect of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on the Well-Being, Burnout and Stress of Italian Healthcare Professionals during the COVID-19 Pandemic Journal of Clinical Medicine May 31, 2022
and 7 more in the library