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Conference Paper: Effects of mindfulness training for healthcare staff during COVID-19 outbreak for the cultivation of resilience and compassion

TitleEffects of mindfulness training for healthcare staff during COVID-19 outbreak for the cultivation of resilience and compassion
Authors
Issue Date2021
PublisherOxford University Press. The Journal's web site is located at https://academic.oup.com/abm
Citation
The 42nd Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions of the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM), Virtual Conference, 12-16 April 2021. Abstracts in Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 2021, v. 55 n. Supp.1, p. S179 How to Cite?
AbstractIntroduction: In working to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare staff face difficult challenges that could impact their physical and psychological well-being. Reports from the 2003 SARS outbreak in Hong Kong showed that medical professionals experienced heightened anxiety levels. In the present study, a brief mindfulness training program was introduced to healthcare staff in Hong Kong to examine the impact on their psychological well-being. The teaching and practices offered in the program aimed to help them manage stress and cultivate resilience. Research Design: The study was conducted between June and August 2020, between the second and third waves of local COVID-19 outbreak. Thirty healthcare staff from local medical centres attended a brief mindfulness training program consisting of four weekly 2-hour sessions. A self-report questionnaire was administered before and after the training program, and one month after program completion, to measure changes in perceived stress, self-efficacy, general health, and self-compassion. Results: Improvement in psychological well-being was found one month after completion of training. Comparisons between follow-up and baseline measures showed a significant decrease in General Health Questionnaire scores (t(29)=- 2.917, p=.007), indicating an improvement in psychological state. Furthermore, an improvement in Self-Compassion was found (t(29)=3.848, p=.001). There was a significant increase in self-soothing thoughts (self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness; t(29)=3.456, p=.002), and decrease in self-defeating thoughts (self-judgment, isolation, and over-identification; t(29)=-3.066, p=.005). However, there was also a significant increase in perceived stress (t(29)=2.252, p=.032), and no significant changes in self-efficacy. Conclusions: The mindfulness intervention was effective in enhancing general health and self-compassion in participants. The data suggests that despite the increase in perceived stress, which can possibly be explained by the uncertainties of local COVID-19 outbreak during the follow-up, participants could still maintain the increase in general health and self-compassion one month after training. Overall, this study demonstrated the positive effects of introducing mindfulness practice to healthcare staff during the pandemic as a prevention measure against the residual negative impact on their mental health. Further research with a control group and a larger sample are necessary to confirm these findings.
DescriptionResearch Talk
Persistent Identifierhttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/300214
ISSN
2023 Impact Factor: 3.6
2023 SCImago Journal Rankings: 1.432

 

DC FieldValueLanguage
dc.contributor.authorWong, VPY-
dc.contributor.authorCheung, V-
dc.contributor.authorHo, RTH-
dc.date.accessioned2021-06-04T08:39:46Z-
dc.date.available2021-06-04T08:39:46Z-
dc.date.issued2021-
dc.identifier.citationThe 42nd Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions of the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM), Virtual Conference, 12-16 April 2021. Abstracts in Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 2021, v. 55 n. Supp.1, p. S179-
dc.identifier.issn0883-6612-
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/300214-
dc.descriptionResearch Talk-
dc.description.abstractIntroduction: In working to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare staff face difficult challenges that could impact their physical and psychological well-being. Reports from the 2003 SARS outbreak in Hong Kong showed that medical professionals experienced heightened anxiety levels. In the present study, a brief mindfulness training program was introduced to healthcare staff in Hong Kong to examine the impact on their psychological well-being. The teaching and practices offered in the program aimed to help them manage stress and cultivate resilience. Research Design: The study was conducted between June and August 2020, between the second and third waves of local COVID-19 outbreak. Thirty healthcare staff from local medical centres attended a brief mindfulness training program consisting of four weekly 2-hour sessions. A self-report questionnaire was administered before and after the training program, and one month after program completion, to measure changes in perceived stress, self-efficacy, general health, and self-compassion. Results: Improvement in psychological well-being was found one month after completion of training. Comparisons between follow-up and baseline measures showed a significant decrease in General Health Questionnaire scores (t(29)=- 2.917, p=.007), indicating an improvement in psychological state. Furthermore, an improvement in Self-Compassion was found (t(29)=3.848, p=.001). There was a significant increase in self-soothing thoughts (self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness; t(29)=3.456, p=.002), and decrease in self-defeating thoughts (self-judgment, isolation, and over-identification; t(29)=-3.066, p=.005). However, there was also a significant increase in perceived stress (t(29)=2.252, p=.032), and no significant changes in self-efficacy. Conclusions: The mindfulness intervention was effective in enhancing general health and self-compassion in participants. The data suggests that despite the increase in perceived stress, which can possibly be explained by the uncertainties of local COVID-19 outbreak during the follow-up, participants could still maintain the increase in general health and self-compassion one month after training. Overall, this study demonstrated the positive effects of introducing mindfulness practice to healthcare staff during the pandemic as a prevention measure against the residual negative impact on their mental health. Further research with a control group and a larger sample are necessary to confirm these findings.-
dc.languageeng-
dc.publisherOxford University Press. The Journal's web site is located at https://academic.oup.com/abm-
dc.relation.ispartofAnnals of Behavioral Medicine-
dc.relation.ispartofSociety of Behavioral Medicine 42nd Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions, 2021-
dc.titleEffects of mindfulness training for healthcare staff during COVID-19 outbreak for the cultivation of resilience and compassion-
dc.typeConference_Paper-
dc.identifier.emailWong, PY: venuspyw@hku.hk-
dc.identifier.emailCheung, V: vkchg@hku.hk-
dc.identifier.emailHo, RTH: tinho@hku.hk-
dc.identifier.authorityWong, PY=rp02820-
dc.identifier.authorityHo, RTH=rp00497-
dc.description.naturelink_to_OA_fulltext-
dc.identifier.hkuros322686-
dc.identifier.volume55-
dc.identifier.issueSupp.1-
dc.identifier.spageS179-
dc.identifier.epageS179-
dc.publisher.placeUnited States-
dc.identifier.partofdoi10.1093/abm/kaab020-

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