Assessment of Virtual Mindfulness-Based Training for Health Care Professionals: Improved Self-Reported Respiration Rates, Perceived Stress, and Resilience.
Justin J Merrigan, Catherine Quatman-Yates, Jacqueline Caputo, Kayla Daniel, Nadia Briones, Ilayda Sen, Slate Bretz, Anne-Marie Duchemin, Beth Steinberg, Joshua A Hagen, Maryanna Klatt
Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health 2023 DOI: 10.1177/27536130231187636 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pre-post intervention study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 275 |
| Population | Health care workers |
| Intervention | Mindfulness in Motion (MIM) |
| Duration | 8-week intervention |
| Topics | Breathwork Meditation |
| Keywords | Breathing techniques First responders Mental health |
| Key points | Mindfulness in Motion sessions reduced self-reported respiratory rate from 13.24 to 9.69 breaths per minute and improved perceived stress and resiliency scores over eight weeks. |
Abstract
Mindfulness in Motion (MIM) is a workplace resilience-building intervention that has shown reductions in perceived stress and burnout, as well as increased resilience and work engagement in health care workers. To evaluate effects of MIM delivered in a synchronous virtual format on self-reported respiratory rates (RR), as well as perceived stress and resiliency of health care workers. Breath counts were self-reported by 275 participants before and after 8 weekly MIM sessions. MIM was delivered virtually in a group format as a structured, evidence-based workplace intervention including a variety of mindfulness, relaxation, and resilience-building techniques. Participants counted their breaths for 30 seconds, which was then multiplied by 2 to report RR. Additionally, participants completed Perceived Stress Scale and Connor-Davidson Resiliency Scale. According to mixed effect analyses there were main effects of MIM Session (P < .001) and Weeks (P < .001), but no Session by Week interaction (P = .489) on RR. On average, RR prior to MIM sessions were reduced from 13.24 bpm (95% CI = 12.94, 13.55 bpm) to 9.69 bpm (95% CI = 9.39, 9.99 bpm). When comparing average Pre-MIM and Post-MIM RR throughout the MIM intervention, Week-2 (mean = 12.34; 95% CI = 11.89, 12.79 bpm) was not significantly different than Week-1 (mean = 12.78; 95% CI = 12.34, 13.23 bpm), but Week-3 through Week-8 demonstrated significantly lower average Pre-MIM and Post-MIM RR compared to Week-1 (average weekly difference range: 1.36 to 2.48 bpm, P < .05). Perceived stress was reduced from Week-1 (17.52 ± 6.25) to after Week-8 (13.52 ± 6.04; P < .001), while perceived resiliency was increased from Week-1 (11.30 ± 5.14) to after Week-8 (19.29 ± 2.58); P < .001). Thus far, completion of MIM sessions has shown acute and long-term effects on self-reported RR, but more research is required to determine the extent of improved parasympathetic (relaxed) states. Collectively, this work has shown value for mind-body stress mitigation and resiliency-building in high stress acute health care environments.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Incorporating biofeedback into the Mindfulness in Motion Intervention for health care professionals: Impact on sleep and stress. Explore 2024
- Comparison of the effects of in-person and internet-delivered mindfulness-based stress reduction on the burden of psychosomatic symptoms in nurses. Frontiers in Psychology 2024
- Effectiveness of an online mindfulness based stress reduction intervention on psychological distress among patients with COVID19 after hospital discharge. Scientific Reports July 13, 2025
- Heart Rate Variability and Respiration Rates during a Mindfulness Based Intervention for Health Care Professionals: Mindfulness in Motion Research Square September 6, 2023
- Preliminary feasibility of mindfulness in motion to improve physiological biomarkers of wellbeing in healthcare providers during dayshift hours Discover Public Health May 25, 2025
Cites 14
- Mindfulness meditation training alters cortical representations of interoceptive attention Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience June 11, 2012
- How long does a mindfulness‐based stress reduction program need to be? A review of class contact hours and effect sizes for psychological distress Journal of Clinical Psychology March 23, 2009
- A mind you can count on: validating breath counting as a behavioral measure of mindfulness Frontiers in Psychology October 24, 2014
- Quantitative change of EEG and respiration signals during mindfulness meditation Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation May 14, 2014
- Long-term mindfulness training is associated with reliable differences in resting respiration rate Scientific Reports June 7, 2016
and 9 more in the library