Exploring the lived experiences of participants and facilitators of an online mindfulness program during COVID-19: a phenomenological study.
Ashley Melvin, Christopher Canning, Fariha Chowdhury, Sarah Hunter, Soyeon Kim
Frontiers in Public Health 2023 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1278725 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 13 |
| Population | Healthcare workers and program facilitators who participated in an online mindfulness-based intervention during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based intervention |
| Duration | Four-week program |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Covid-19 Healthcare workers Interpretative phenomenological analysis Mental health Resilience |
| Key findings | The authors report four themes from interviews with 13 healthcare workers and facilitators: changing environments, a snowball of emotions, connection and disconnection, and striving for resilience. They argue that organizations should support wellness during public health crises by improving social connection in virtual care settings, providing technology and professional development training, and helping participants distinguish emotions from emotional states. |
Abstract
The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has placed incredible demands on healthcare workers (HCWs) and adversely impacted their well-being. Throughout the pandemic, organizations have sought to implement brief and flexible mental health interventions to better support employees. Few studies have explored HCWs' lived experiences of participating in brief, online mindfulness programming during the pandemic using qualitative methodologies. To address this gap, we conducted semi-structured interviews with HCWs and program facilitators (n = 13) who participated in an online, four-week, mindfulness-based intervention program. The goals of this study were to: (1) understand how participants experienced work during the pandemic; (2) understand how the rapid switch to online life impacted program delivery and how participants experienced the mindfulness program; and (3) describe the role of the mindfulness program in supporting participants' mental health and well-being. We utilized interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) to elucidate participants' and facilitators' rich and meaningful lived experiences and identified patterns of experiences through a cross-case analysis. This resulted in four main themes: (1) changing environments; (2) snowball of emotions; (3) connection and disconnection; and (4) striving for resilience. Findings from this study highlight strategies for organizations to create and support wellness programs for HCWs in times of public health crises. These include improving social connection in virtual care settings, providing professional development and technology training for HCWs to adapt to rapid environmental changes, and recognizing the difference between emotions and emotional states in HCWs involved in mindfulness-based programs.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on meditation, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cites 4
- How can a 6-week training course shape mental healthcare professionals' understanding of mindfulness? Experiences at Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital. South African Journal of Psychiatry March 23, 2021
- Coping With COVID-19: Mindfulness-Based Approaches for Mitigating Mental Health Crisis. Frontiers in Psychiatry 2021
- Yoga and Mindfulness as a Tool for Influencing Affectivity, Anxiety, Mental Health, and Stress among Healthcare Workers: Results of a Single-Arm Clinical Trial Journal of Clinical Medicine April 1, 2020
- A Qualitative Study of a Compassion, Presence, and Resilience Training for Oncology Interprofessional Teams. Journal of Holistic Nursing March 2019