Mindfulness‐based stress reduction for psychological distress among nurses: A systematic review

A systematic review of nine interventional studies found that Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programs, including adapted or brief versions, reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout among nurses and improve job satisfaction. The review, covering literature from 2002 to 2018, assessed study quality and concluded that MBSR appears promising for lowering psychological distress in this population. The authors call for future randomized controlled trials with larger samples and longer follow-up, as well as creative delivery methods to make MBSR more accessible to nurses.

Study at a glance

Abstract

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To explore the studies that used interventions based on the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) for decreasing psychological distress among nurses. BACKGROUND: Because of the demanding nature of their work, nurses often have significantly high levels of stress, anxiety and depression. MBSR has been reported to be an effective intervention to decrease psychological distress. DESIGN: Systematic review. METHODS: The databases included were Science Direct, PubMed, EBSCO host, Springer Link and Web of Science from 2002 to 2018. Interventional studies published in English that used MBSR among nurses to reduce their psychological distress were retrieved for review. The PRISMA guideline was used in this systematic review. The included studies were assessed for quality using "The Quality Assessment Tool For Quantitative Studies (QATFQS)." RESULTS: Nine studies were found to be eligible and included in this review. Many benefits, including reduced stress, anxiety, depression, burnout and better job satisfaction, were reported in these studies. CONCLUSION: The adapted/brief versions of MBSR seem promising for reducing psychological distress in nurses. Future research should include randomised controlled trials with a larger sample size and follow-up studies. There should also be a focus on creative and effective ways of delivering MBSR to nurses. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The results of this review are substantial for supporting the use of MBSR for nurses' psychological well-being.