Effects of a mindfulness-based interventions on stress, burnout in nurses: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Qi Wang, Fang Wang, Shurong Zhang, Chaofan Liu, Yue Feng, Jun-zhu Chen
Frontiers in Psychiatry August 3, 2023 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1218340 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,165 |
| Population | Nurses |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based training |
| Duration | Short-term follow-up up to 3 months; later follow-up data available from only two studies |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 82 |
| Key findings | Mindfulness-based training may reduce nurses' stress and burnout, with very-low certainty evidence of moderate effectiveness for stress (SMD -0.81) and improvements in emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment, but no significant effects on anxiety or depression. Benefits for stress appeared short-term, burnout benefits were delayed, and long-term effects were not established. |
Abstract
Background: Stress in the healthcare environment causes negative effects in nurses such as burnout, anxiety, and depression. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in increased pressure on medical staff globally, highlighting the potential benefits of mindfulness-based interventions in reducing nurses' stress levels. Despite numerous studies exploring the effect of mindfulness-based training on nurses, the results remain inconclusive.
Objective: To systematically evaluate the impact of mindfulness training on nurse's performance and increase the certainty of existing evidence.
Methods: This study searched various databases, including EBSCO, Embase, Web of Science, PubMed, ProQuest, Scopus, Cochrane Online Library, Wanfang, SinoMed, CNKI, and VIP, for randomized controlled trials on the impact of mindfulness-based interventions for nurses up until 02 December 2022. Two investigators independently screened and extracted data from the articles, while also assessing the risk of bias. The data was analyzed using RevMan 5.4 software.
Results: This review identified 15 studies out of the 2,171 records retrieved, consisting of a total of 1,165 participants who were randomized. Post-intervention analysis provided very-low certainty evidence of moderate effectiveness of mindfulness-based training in reducing stress [standardized mean difference (SMD) = -0.81; 95% confidence interval (CI) = -1.11 to -0.52], with no significant effect on anxiety (SMD = -0.30; 95% CI = -0.72 to 0.13) or depression (SMD = -0.24; 95% CI = -0.55 to 0.07). However, the training was effective in reducing burnout, as demonstrated by the lower scores for emotional exhaustion (SMD = -4.27; 95% CI = -5.94 to -2.59) and depersonalization (SMD = -2.89; 95% CI = -4.24 to -1.54) and higher scores for personal accomplishment (SMD = 2.81; 95% CI = 0.12 to 5.50). There was a sustained improvement in stress levels in the short-term (≤3 months), with delayed benefits for burnout. However, only two studies were available for later follow-ups, and there was no significant evidence of long-term effects.
Conclusion: Mindfulness-based training may be a viable intervention for improving the psychological wellbeing of nurses, including reducing stress, burnout. Systematic review
Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier CRD42023387081.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 20
- Mindfulness-based interventions for improving mental health of frontline healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review. Systematic Reviews June 20, 2024
- Improving exercise motivation and physical fitness in college students through a long-term mindfulness-enhanced Tai Chi Chuan program: a randomized controlled trial PeerJ January 9, 2026
- Does emotional intelligence mediates workplace stress, mindfulness, person-job-fit, and mental health among bank employees Frontiers in Psychology August 26, 2026
- Mapping the landscape of mindfulness research in educational workplaces: a bibliometric and conceptual analysis (2020–2024) Frontiers in Education February 13, 2026
- The abstraction habituation model of knowledge worker burnout. Frontiers in Psychology 2026
and 15 more in the library
Cites 23
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, and Zen Meditation for Depression, Anxiety, Pain, and Psychological Distress Journal of Psychiatric Practice July 1, 2012
- Neural mechanisms of symptom improvements in generalized anxiety disorder following mindfulness training NeuroImage: Clinical 2013
- Nurse Leader Mindfulness Meditation Program for Stress Management JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration March 1, 2009
- Six-year positive effects of a mindfulness-based intervention on mindfulness, coping and well-being in medical and psychology students; Results from a randomized controlled trial PLoS One April 24, 2018
- Mindfulness in the focus of the neurosciences - The contribution of neuroimaging to the understanding of mindfulness. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience October 17, 2022
and 18 more in the library