Effects of a Simplified Four‐Week Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction Program on Moral Distress and Psychological Resilience Among Chinese Clinical Nurses: A Quasiexperimental Study
Lihua Zhao, Haiyan Zhao, Yuping Han, Yang Xiaoxia, Yanlei Zhou, Wenwen Che, Jia Wang
Perspectives In Psychiatric Care 2026 DOI: 10.1155/ppc/8598577 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasiexperimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 80 |
| Population | Nurses from a tertiary hospital in Shandong Province |
| Intervention | routine supportive psychological care |
| Duration | 4-week intervention; follow-up at 7 days, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months postintervention |
| Measures | Moral Distress Scale for Nurses (Chinese version), 10-item Psychological Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | A 4-week simplified MBSR program was associated with lower moral distress at all postintervention time points and higher psychological resilience at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months compared with routine supportive psychological care; the resilience difference was no longer significant at 6 months (p = 0.099). The time-by-group interaction for moral distress was not statistically significant (p = 0.062). |
Abstract
Objective: To investigate the effects of simplified mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) training on nurses’ moral distress and psychological resilience.
Methods: In this quasiexperimental study, 80 nurses from a tertiary hospital in Shandong Province were assigned using a computer‐generated random sequence produced with SPSS 23.0 in a 1:1 ratio to receive a 4‐week simplified MBSR intervention or routine supportive psychological care. The Chinese versions of the Moral Distress Scale for Nurses and the 10‐item Psychological Resilience Scale were used to assess outcomes before the intervention and at 7 days, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months postintervention. Seventy‐five participants completed all assessments and were included in the complete‐case analysis.
Results: Thirty‐eight intervention participants and 37 control participants were analyzed. No significant differences were found between the groups before the intervention ( p > 0.05). At all postintervention time points, the observation group showed significantly lower moral distress compared to the control group ( p > 0.05). After Greenhouse–Geisser correction, the time × group interaction was not statistically significant ( p = 0.062). For psychological resilience, the intervention group had significantly higher CD‐RISC‐10 total scores at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after the intervention, whereas the between‐group difference was no longer significant at 6 months ( p = 0.099). Significant effects of time, group, and time × group interaction were observed for psychological resilience ( p > 0.05).
Conclusion: A 4‐week simplified MBSR program effectively reduces moral distress and enhances psychological resilience in nurses over time, suggesting its value as a practical intervention in clinical settings. Sustained benefits may require booster sessions or continued mindfulness practice, particularly for resilience outcomes beyond 3 months.
Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR): ChiCTR2400085700
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |
Citations in the library
Cites 6
- Efficacy of 8- and 4-Session Mindfulness-Based Interventions in a Non-clinical Population: A Controlled Study Frontiers in Psychology August 8, 2017
- A Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Acute Care Nursing Staff: A Pilot Study. Journal of Holistic Nursing March 2024
- Effect of online modified mindfulness-based stress reduction training on the resilience of nursing interns in China. Nursing Open August 2023
- Effects of mobile-based mindfulness meditation for mental health of nurses: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open April 22, 2022
- Moral Distress: Using Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Interventions to Decrease Nurse Perceptions of Distress. Clinical journal of oncology nursing June 1, 2018
and 1 more in the library