Brief tele-mindfulness-based intervention: A multicenter randomized controlled trial
Amani M. AlQarni, Abdulaziz Elfaki, Moataza M. Abdel Wahab, Yasser Aljehani, Auday A. Alkhunaizi, Johnson Alex, Sharifa A. Othman, Fatma H. Amer, Faisal A. Alghamdi, Khalid A. Alissa- Family Practice
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has proven to be detrimental to the psychological well-being of healthcare providers (HCP). This study was a psychological intervention during the COVID-19 pandemic to check extent to which brief mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) and progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) affect psychological well-being, resilience, and anxiety of HCPs.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
A randomized trial study conducted from July to August 2020. One hundred and forty-seven COVID-19 frontline HCPs were randomized to a 2-week virtual intervention with a brief MBI or a PMR. Pre- and postintervention assessments were done using the State-Trait Anxiety–20-Item Scale, the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale-10, and WHO-5 Well-Being Index.
RESULTS:
The final sample included 125 HCPs (64 in BMI group and 61 in PMR group) who completed pre- and post-intervention assessment. The results showed a significant improvement in the psychological well-being and reduction of the state anxiety of the two groups, but not in the trait anxiety or resiliency. Improvement was more in the group’s brief MBI (81.3%) than in the group’s PMR (51.8%) (
CONCLUSION:
Both the brief MBI and PMR improved the psychological well-being and reduced the anxiety of frontline healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic with a slightly better improvement in the brief MBI.