A systematic review and meta-analysis of meditative interventions for informal caregivers and health professionals

Abstract

Background Burnout, stress and anxiety have been identified as areas of concern for informal caregivers and health professionals, particularly in the palliative setting. Meditative interventions are gaining acceptance as tools to improve well-being in a variety of clinical contexts, however, their effectiveness as an intervention for caregivers remains unknown. Aim To explore the effect of meditative interventions on physical and emotional markers of well-being as well as job satisfaction and burnout among informal caregivers and health professionals. Design Systematic review of randomised clinical trials and pre–post intervention studies with meditative interventions for caregivers. Data sources PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL and PsycINFO were searched up to November 2013. Of 1561 abstracts returned, 68 studies were examined in full text with 27 eligible for systematic review. Results Controlled trials of informal caregivers showed statistically significant improvement in depression (effect size 0.49 (95% CI 0.24 to 0.75)), anxiety (effect size 0.53 (95% CI 0.06 to 0.99)), stress (effect size 0.49 (95% CI 0.21 to 0.77)) and self-efficacy (effect size 0.86 (95% CI 0.5 to 1.23)), at an average of 8 weeks following intervention initiation. Controlled trials of health professionals showed improved emotional exhaustion (effect size 0.37 (95% CI 0.04 to 0.70)), personal accomplishment (effect size 1.18 (95% CI 0.10 to 2.25)) and life satisfaction (effect size 0.48 (95% CI 0.15 to 0.81)) at an average of 8 weeks following intervention initiation. Conclusions Meditation provides a small to moderate benefit for informal caregivers and health professionals for stress reduction, but more research is required to establish effects on burnout and caregiver burden.

Predictors of burnout and health status in Samaritans’ listening volunteers

“…Studies on employee burnout have focused mainly teachers, nurses, informal caregivers and general practitioners exploring rates of burnout and the effectiveness of a range of interventions including meditation and related approaches such as mindfulness (e.g. Dharmawardene, Givens, Wachholtz, Makowski, & Tjia, 2016;Federici & Skaalvik, 2012;Shirom et al, 2013). Some research has also explored burnout in mental health professionals (MHP) including psychiatrists, non medical MHPs and psychiatric trainees indicating high levels of burnout possibly due to issues such as working with demanding or violent patients, low pay, lack of positive feedback, working with little training or experience, high job responsibility and patient suicides (e.g.…”

Prevalence of Burnout Syndrome in Emergency Nurses: A Meta-Analysis

“…8,9 Through educational interventions, mediation, or interventions focused on affected individuals, treatment of burnout among nurses has been studied, although results have been limited. [10][11][12] In the last decade, numerous burnout risk factors have been studied among nursing professionals, such as work experience, 13 job satisfaction, 14 personality, and sociodemographic factors. 4 Another important risk factor that has been assessed in recent studies 15,16 is the hospital unit or specialty in which nurses work.…”

Effects of Hatha Yoga on caregivers of children and adolescents with cancer: a randomized controlled trial

“…In spite of the diversification of protocols and methods, these experiences have shown benefits to these individuals' health. 11,22 The reduction in anxiety observed in the two groups of the present study is justified, naturally, by the coping strategies employed by the individuals to overcome stressful situations. The volunteers' preponderant attachment to seeking religious practices and wishful thinking represents the manifestation of their impotence to control the clinical response of their children and adolescents undergoing treatment.…”

“…Although these trials are still incipient, they have shown benefits to the health of caregivers of individuals in different health conditions. 11,12 We have not found a study in the literature that assesses the effects of this practice on the population of caregivers of children and adolescents with cancer.…”