Burnout prevention in healthcare professionals during COVID-19.
Elvira Micali, Emanuela Giovanna Chiarella
Journal of preventive medicine and hygiene September 1, 2023 DOI: 10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2023.64.3.2906 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Controlled study (non-randomized, two-group pre-post design) Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 40 |
| Population | Female rehabilitation therapists |
| Intervention | Mindfulness sessions |
| Measures | Maslach Burnout Inventory |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Burnout, professional Psychological tests Health personnel Female Self report Pandemics Burnout, psychological Covid-19 Mbi |
| Key points | Burnout scores on the Maslach Burnout Inventory decreased in the experimental group after mindfulness sessions, while no such change is reported for the control group. The authors suggest relaxation techniques can be effective in stemming burnout and promoting psychological well-being, and hypothesize that more prolonged activity could yield a more evident and statistically significant improvement. |
Abstract
Introduction: Burnout syndrome represents the pathological outcome of a stressful process that mainly affects the "helping professions". During the COVID-19 pandemic, pressure on healthcare systems has led to an increase in psychological distress among healthcare workers. The aim of this study is to verify whether the practice of relaxation techniques in healthcare workers can improve emotional balance and stem burnout.
Methods: A small sample of 40 female rehabilitation therapists were divided into two groups (20 experimental group subjects and 20 control group subjects). The Maslach Burnout Inventory was administered to both groups, after informed consent, to highlight the correlation between working hours exceeding 30 hours per week and burnout, by subjecting the experimental group to mindfulness sessions between T0 and T1.
Results: The data analysis highlighted a decrease in burnout in the experimental group after the mindfulness sessions.
Conclusions: The findings suggest that these relaxation techniques can be effective in stemming burnout and promoting psychological well-being. It is therefore possible to hypothesize that such increased and prolonged activities could show a more evident and statistically significant improvement.
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 |