Mindfulness as a tool for reducing stress in healthcare professionals: An umbrella review

2.1 Identification of relevant studies

Systematic and narrative reviews that examined the impact of MBSR and other MBIs on HCPs and healthcare students’ stress were identified through a systematic search of three electronic databases: PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science. All studies regardless time of publication were considered for inclusion. Moreover, we considered papers published in English, French and Italian. Eligible studies were selected by two researchers through a multi-step approach including title and abstract screening and full-text evaluation. The following search algorithm was used in both databases: “mindfulness AND (healthcare professionals OR nurse* OR doctor*) AND stress reduction AND review”.

2.2 Study selection and eligibility criteria

The first selection was performed by filtering duplicated articles. Afterward, title and abstract screening was performed. Then full text assessment was performed. Systematic and narrative reviews were selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria (Table 1) following the PICOS (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes and Study Design) search strategy tool.

The effectiveness of the intervention was based on several outcome measures. The primary outcomes were the healthcare provider’s and student’s well-being and perceived stress, the secondary outcomes varied including mood, anxiety, burnout and performance.

2.4 Data extraction and quality assessment

Data were extracted and qualitatively assessed using the AMSTAR 1 tool for systematic reviews and the INSA tool for narrative reviews [21, 22]. AMSTAR consists of 11 items and has good face and content validity for measuring the methodological quality of systematic reviews. The INSA tool consists of 7 criteria and includes a point system according to which each valid answer corresponds to one point. A review awarded a total of 5 points will be considered good. The following study characteristics were extracted:

author name;

2.5 Data synthesis

In order to organize the amount of data, results have been grouped on the basis of the type of intervention. Three main subcategories were finally identified: MBSR, MBIs, other techniques.

Findings of the quality assessment are presented in Tables 3 and 4. None of the systematic reviews reached the maximum of the AMSTAR score. Moreover, all studies failed to satisfy AMSTAR items 4, 5, 11. In particular, the authors did not state whether they searched for reports regardless of their publication type (e.g., grey literature) (AMSTAR item 4), did not provide a list of included and excluded studies (AMSTAR item 5) and did not acknowledge any potential sources of support or cp (AMSTAR item 11).

The final assessment of the systematic reviews varied from critically low to moderate. Among narrative reviews, the study carried out by Irving and colleagues reached all seven items of the INSA score, the study conducted by West five, the remaining two reached very low scores, hence being judged as very low-quality studies.

Most of the reviews examined studies that evaluated the effect of MBSR techniques on HCPs and healthcare students. The MBSR program developed by Kabat-Zinn was mainly conducted, consisting in 8 weekly 2.5-h sessions and one full-day silent retreat between the 6th and 7th class [11]. There was a general agreement regarding the results, since they found out that MBSR has an effective role in reducing stress in a targeted sample. However, the overall high heterogeneity of the participants, between and within the reviews, represents a first obstacle to properly evaluate the results. Perceived stress and burnout were the most frequently evaluated outcomes, and their assessment was performed by using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) [23] and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) [24]. Lamothe et al. primarily evaluated perceived stress, finding that MBSR is able to decrease it, and similarly, positive findings regarding burnout, anxiety and mental well-being resulted from the analysis of the studies. Mindfulness outcomes were also evaluated through different questionnaires, showing similar results. Some variants of MBSR were also developed, since a need for adaptation was required in many cases, with shorter and more intensive MBSR courses [19]. Spinelli et al. used the Hedge’s to quantify the effect of various MBSR techniques on the measured outcomes, finding a significant moderate association for several parameters: anxiety, depression, psychological distress and perceived stress. They also analysed some studies that considered a follow-up ranged from 4 to 80 weeks after the intervention, finding small to moderate effect on stress [4]. Smith et al. evaluated different types of MBSR courses mainly for healthcare students and nurses, and measured different outcomes, again reporting positive effects on them [12]. Stillwell et al. focused on pre-post studies, specifically investigating the immediate effect of MBSR techniques and other stress management courses, and demonstrating a reduction in perceived stress after the intervention in all the analysed studies [25].

Burton et al. [26] performed a meta-analysis on 7 out of 9 papers included in their systematic review and found that MBSR, MBSR-M and MBIs are interventions that have a significant impact on decreasing stress levels for HCPs. The results of the meta-analysis shows a medium effect (r = 0.342; CI = 0.202–0.468).

Gilmartin et al. [16] performed a systematic review using the results of 14 papers, of which 50% were RCTs. 83% of the studies reported statistically significant improvements in stress score levels after completion of the intervention. Moreover, two thirds of the studies reveal positive changes in levels of anxiety, resiliency, and burnout symptoms.

A systematic review, performed by Ghawadra et al. [27] on papers on the effect of MBSR intervention on nurses, found the MBSR has a positive impact on the psychological well-being of these HCPs. These interventions are able to improve the primary outcomes, such as stress level, reduced in 66% of studies, and anxiety and depression levels, reduced in 33% of the studies.

O’Driscoll et al., in their review, accounted studies performing follow-up monitoring, but interestingly a lack of sustained effect was reported, suggesting that a continuous MBSR course should be followed to maintain the positive effects on stress reduction [9]. The two narrative reviews that analysed this type of intervention, published by Raab and Irving et al., also agreed that MBSR could represent a promising tool for HCPs and healthcare students to manage stress, burnout, and other mental and physical affections [3, 25]. In particular, Raab focused on the concept of self-compassion as an attitude enhanced by MBSR training, which eventually leads to a reduction in maladaptive cognitive coping tendencies and a better management of stress. Nonetheless, all these studies underlined difficulties in properly interpreting data. Apart from the consistent heterogeneity reported in many studies, a limited number of participants and contrasting results made it difficult to perform a sensitive analysis. Moreover, most reviews reported a high-risk bias in the primary studies.

3.3 Mindfulness-based interventions

Apart from the main MBSR intervention other mindfulness-based interventions were evaluated to analyze the effect on stress in the targeted population. Van der Riet et al. mainly focused on nurses and nursing students and considered various mindfulness meditation (MM) techniques to reduce stress. The results of this review identified that MM can have positive impact on stress, anxiety, depression and burnout among nurses and nursing students [17]. However, the authors also put forward that the majority of papers included in the review described small scale localized studies which limit the generalizability of the results [17]. Spinelli et al. considered some other MBIs among the studies. It was reported that while MBSR intervention had the largest effect on stress, other MBIs were more effective on burnout [4, 28]. Gilmartin et al. included studies that incorporated different MBIs, some focusing only on mindfulness, others including mindfulness within multifaceted resiliency programs to reduce medication errors, others used a combination of lecture, discussion, and group or independent practice sessions. The dose, duration, and settings of the different interventions also varied. Outcomes regarding the providers’ mental and physical health were measured through different scores, and most of the studies reported statistically significant improvements; no significant improvement on medical errors reduction was reported [16]. Moreover, Raab et al. also considered other MBIs along with MBSR courses as instruments for HCPs to face stress, burnout, depression. They also underlined the importance of empathy and compassion as fundamental characteristics for working with the suffering of people and argued that both MBSR and other MBIs also contribute to balance these aspects [3].

3.4 Other techniques

Different approaches to reduce stress, burnout, and generally to improve HCPs and students’ mental and physical health, as well as to enhance their attitude and competence to work or study, were examined by some other studies. Apart from MBSR and MBIs, other types of courses were evaluated to verify the efficacy that they may have had. In particular, Romani et al. considered studies that analyzed various stress management courses:

sociopsychological training;

Some of them resulted in positive effects, others, such as the second, demonstrated no improvement in the measured outcomes. Other included studies by Romani et al. analysed Balint sessions, showing an important improvement in patient-centred care and self-esteem among general practitioners. Similar results were obtained for studies that evaluated some exercises, especially stretching exercises in the workplace. Finally, some occupational interventions were considered to verify the improvement of the practitioner’s well-being, in particular giving priority to physicians’ well-being as much as the quality of care, or identifying factors that produce stress, and trying to reduce them. Everson et al. focused mainly on programs that promote health professional students’ empathic concern [29]. The interventions were divided into four categories: empathy and communication skills training, patient experience focused programs, film-based training and mindfulness training. Again, contrasting results did not allow the studies to provide a statistically significant conclusion.

4.1 Stress

The results suggest that the techniques evaluated can be effective in helping this target population to cope with stress. Due to high demand and workplace stress, HCPs and healthcare students may experience high levels of stress, and mindfulness-based interventions were generally found to reduce symptoms and to improve mental health outcomes [14, 25–27]. Other MBIs and stress management interventions also led to a better mental health state in participants [15, 16]. The most overall evaluated outcome was perceived stress,that was most often measures using the PSS. In most studies perceived stress decreased after the intervention. Comparison among interventions showed different outcomes, with MBSR having the largest effect on stress reduction.

4.2 Burnout

Burnout was also frequently measured, mainly using Maslach Burnout Inventory, which reported positive results. Van der Riet et al demonstrated that mindfulness meditation has proven to be a protective strategy that builds emotional regulation, and this can have a preventive impact on burnout development [17].

4.3 Anxiety, depression and well-being

Beyond these two major aspects (stress and burnout), various measurements of well-being, physical health, performance, empathy, or even patients’ satisfaction were performed, showing less positive results.

As far as concerns anxiety and depression, O’Driscoll et al. [9] and Raab et al. [3] underline the potential benefit of MBSR through the mediation of compassion and self-compassion. These effects are of particular interest for the HCPs, for improving work relationships (i.e., job satisfaction) and increasing perceived comfort with patients.

van der Riet et al. [17] and Spinelli [3] demonstrated that engagement in Mindfulness Meditation programs, especially when accompanied by regular practice, appeared to be most effective in increasing well-being.

4.4 Limitations

Several limitations must be acknowledged in this review. First of all, most studies included in the single reviews had small sample sizes, and a grade of heterogeneity varying from moderate to high for different outcomes, having the potential for bias [15, 25]. In many studies there a control group was lacking, making it difficult to provide evident outcomes. Furthermore, the intervention settings often varied within the studies, mainly due to the difficulty for participants to attend the courses at the same time of the day due to different work-shifts. Consequently, it was difficult to recommend a standardized MBSR or MBIs approach to better evaluate the outcome [4]. Besides, almost all studies did not include follow-up observations, making it difficult to establish the long-term effect of the interventions [14]. Furthermore, the studies that used a follow-up, showed no sustained effects, suggesting that MBSR courses should be continuatively implemented in order to maintain the benefits over time [9].

Another limitation was the choice of some studies to include together different types of HCPs and students, not considering the difference that can be present among them, especially for students, which were certainly exposed to different factors compared to HCPs. For all these reasons, the quality of the studies was generally affected, and this review could not fully clarify the effectiveness of the analyzed methods in reducing stress in HCPs and healthcare students.