Effectiveness of virtual mindfulness-based interventions on perceived anxiety and depression of physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic: A pre-post experimental study
BackgroundThe outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) created unprecedented stress on physicians. Mindfulness is a type of meditation that focuses on being fully present, aware of senses, and emotions in the present moment without analyzing or judging them, and it may help reduce psychologic...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1089147/full |
| _version_ | 1797956957826449408 |
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| author | Abdullah Al Ozairi Abdullah Al Ozairi Dalal Alsaeed Ebaa Al-Ozairi Ebaa Al-Ozairi Mohammad Irshad Rebecca S. Crane Aroub Almoula |
| author_facet | Abdullah Al Ozairi Abdullah Al Ozairi Dalal Alsaeed Ebaa Al-Ozairi Ebaa Al-Ozairi Mohammad Irshad Rebecca S. Crane Aroub Almoula |
| author_sort | Abdullah Al Ozairi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundThe outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) created unprecedented stress on physicians. Mindfulness is a type of meditation that focuses on being fully present, aware of senses, and emotions in the present moment without analyzing or judging them, and it may help reduce psychological distress in physicians. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of virtual mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) on physicians’ perceived anxiety and depression and different facets of mindfulness.MethodsDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, an online survey was administered to physicians to assess depression, anxiety, and awareness using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), 7-item General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), and Five-Facets Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), respectively. Physicians that received the virtual MBI sessions also completed post-questionnaires at a 3-week follow-up time point.ResultsA total of 125 physicians responded to the online survey, with 56 completing the MBI. The prevalence of moderate to severe anxiety and depression was 45.0 and 46.7%, respectively. Mindfulness scores were negatively associated with depression (r = −0.38, P < 0.001) and anxiety (r = −0.36, p < 0.001). Mindfulness scores for the 56 physicians who received virtual MBI sessions were significantly improved (mean difference ± SD, 17.7 ± 16.1, p = 0.001). Significant reductions were also evidenced in anxiety (4.4 ± 4.2) and depression (4.5 ± 5.1) scores (p’s < 0.001). There was also an improvement in mindfulness facets of observing (5.1 ± 4.7), describing (2.3 ± 4.3), acting with awareness (2.7 ± 5.3), non-judging of inner experience (3.6 ± 6.1), and non-reactivity to inner experience (3.9 ± 4.0) (p’s < 0.001). A facet of mindfulness, acting with awareness was most efficiently associated with improved anxiety (B = −0.3, p = 0.02) and depression (B = −0.4, p = 0.01).ConclusionThis study has demonstrated that virtual MBI improved physicians’ psychological wellbeing and mindfulness during the crisis. Regular mindfulness practice may help physicians to tolerate and handle unpleasant circumstances, such as future epidemics or pandemics. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T23:56:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-77ba252195fe47cda0835294282609b1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T23:56:49Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-77ba252195fe47cda0835294282609b12023-01-10T12:29:24ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402023-01-011310.3389/fpsyt.2022.10891471089147Effectiveness of virtual mindfulness-based interventions on perceived anxiety and depression of physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic: A pre-post experimental studyAbdullah Al Ozairi0Abdullah Al Ozairi1Dalal Alsaeed2Ebaa Al-Ozairi3Ebaa Al-Ozairi4Mohammad Irshad5Rebecca S. Crane6Aroub Almoula7Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait City, KuwaitAmiri Hospital, Ministry of Health, Kuwait City, KuwaitDasman Diabetes Institute, Kuwait City, KuwaitFaculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait City, KuwaitDasman Diabetes Institute, Kuwait City, KuwaitDasman Diabetes Institute, Kuwait City, KuwaitCentre for Mindfulness Research and Practice, Bangor University, Bangor, United KingdomCentre for Mindfulness Research and Practice, Bangor University, Bangor, United KingdomBackgroundThe outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) created unprecedented stress on physicians. Mindfulness is a type of meditation that focuses on being fully present, aware of senses, and emotions in the present moment without analyzing or judging them, and it may help reduce psychological distress in physicians. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of virtual mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) on physicians’ perceived anxiety and depression and different facets of mindfulness.MethodsDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, an online survey was administered to physicians to assess depression, anxiety, and awareness using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), 7-item General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), and Five-Facets Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), respectively. Physicians that received the virtual MBI sessions also completed post-questionnaires at a 3-week follow-up time point.ResultsA total of 125 physicians responded to the online survey, with 56 completing the MBI. The prevalence of moderate to severe anxiety and depression was 45.0 and 46.7%, respectively. Mindfulness scores were negatively associated with depression (r = −0.38, P < 0.001) and anxiety (r = −0.36, p < 0.001). Mindfulness scores for the 56 physicians who received virtual MBI sessions were significantly improved (mean difference ± SD, 17.7 ± 16.1, p = 0.001). Significant reductions were also evidenced in anxiety (4.4 ± 4.2) and depression (4.5 ± 5.1) scores (p’s < 0.001). There was also an improvement in mindfulness facets of observing (5.1 ± 4.7), describing (2.3 ± 4.3), acting with awareness (2.7 ± 5.3), non-judging of inner experience (3.6 ± 6.1), and non-reactivity to inner experience (3.9 ± 4.0) (p’s < 0.001). A facet of mindfulness, acting with awareness was most efficiently associated with improved anxiety (B = −0.3, p = 0.02) and depression (B = −0.4, p = 0.01).ConclusionThis study has demonstrated that virtual MBI improved physicians’ psychological wellbeing and mindfulness during the crisis. Regular mindfulness practice may help physicians to tolerate and handle unpleasant circumstances, such as future epidemics or pandemics.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1089147/fullanxietydepressionphysicianshealthcare professionmindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) |
| spellingShingle | Abdullah Al Ozairi Abdullah Al Ozairi Dalal Alsaeed Ebaa Al-Ozairi Ebaa Al-Ozairi Mohammad Irshad Rebecca S. Crane Aroub Almoula Effectiveness of virtual mindfulness-based interventions on perceived anxiety and depression of physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic: A pre-post experimental study Frontiers in Psychiatry anxiety depression physicians healthcare profession mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) |
| title | Effectiveness of virtual mindfulness-based interventions on perceived anxiety and depression of physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic: A pre-post experimental study |
| title_full | Effectiveness of virtual mindfulness-based interventions on perceived anxiety and depression of physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic: A pre-post experimental study |
| title_fullStr | Effectiveness of virtual mindfulness-based interventions on perceived anxiety and depression of physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic: A pre-post experimental study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effectiveness of virtual mindfulness-based interventions on perceived anxiety and depression of physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic: A pre-post experimental study |
| title_short | Effectiveness of virtual mindfulness-based interventions on perceived anxiety and depression of physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic: A pre-post experimental study |
| title_sort | effectiveness of virtual mindfulness based interventions on perceived anxiety and depression of physicians during the covid 19 pandemic a pre post experimental study |
| topic | anxiety depression physicians healthcare profession mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1089147/full |
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