Stress in Healthcare Professionals: Caring for the Carers

Background: Healthcare Professionals commonly experience elevated stress levels, and this issue has only further intensified by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Mindfulness-based intervention have been shown to improve stress levels in diverse populations. Objective: The purpose of this project was to evaluate if an online, multicomponent MBI can reduce stress levels in healthcare professionals enrolled in a graduate health program. Methods: Recruitment was conducted at two different Southwestern institutions via email announcement from university’s program directors. The brief, 12-day intervention involved (1) self-guided online educational modules, (2) one group course via the platform zoom, and (3) at home practice of guided meditation session. The Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10) was used to measure stress levels pre- and post-intervention. General feedback of experience was also inquired on Postsurvey. Results: Sample comprised of 17 health professionals enrolled in a graduate health program from two different Southwestern Institutions. Scores from PSS-10 in postsurvey (M=20.94, SD=6.04) were statistically significantly lower than scores in pre survey (M=24.24, SD=5.78), t(16) = 3.35, p = .004. A large effect size was detected with findings (d = .81). Conclusions: Mindfulness Based Interventions may be able to reduce stress levels in healthcare professionals. More literature should focus on mindfulness intervention tailored to the needs of healthcare professionals.