The effects of mindfulness‐based interventions on nurses' anxiety and depression: A meta‐analysis

Abstract

Objective This meta‐analysis aimed to determine the effect of mindfulness interventions on nurses' levels of depression and anxiety. Design Meta‐analysis of randomised controlled trials. Methods The following Chinese and English databases were searched: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI). The retrieval period was from database construction to 30 March 2022. Two researchers screened the relevant literature and extracted the data. After a cross‐check, data were input into Stata version 16.0 for meta‐analysis. Results Twelve randomised controlled trials from 2017 to 2021 were included, which involved 807 subjects (405 and 402 in the intervention and control groups, respectively). Meta‐analysis results showed that nurses' anxiety reduced by mindfulness‐based interventions was significantly higher compared to that of the control group (SMD = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.27–1.55, p < 0.05). Furthermore, an 8‐week mindfulness‐based intervention (SMD = 1.43, 95% CI: 0.61–2.24) reduced the level of anxiety significantly more compared to a 4‐week intervention (SMD = 1.03, 95% CI: 0.36–1.71). Mindfulness‐based interventions were better compared to conventional intervention to reduce the level of depression (SMD = 1.02, 95% CI: 0.42–1.61, p < 0.05), and an 8‐week mindfulness intervention (SMD = 1.81, 95% CI: 0.78–2.84) reduced the level of depression significantly more compared to a 4‐week intervention (SMD = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.29–1.35). Since limited studies had interventions longer than 8 weeks, results on longer mindfulness interventions in reducing nurses' anxiety and depression are inconclusive. In conclusion, mindfulness intervention for 8 weeks or less can significantly reduce nurses' anxiety and depression levels. Patient or Public Contribution None.

Effects of mindfulness‐based interventions on reducing psychological distress among nurses: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials

“…Mindfulness‐based interventions are designed to holistically benefit the body, mind, and soul (Creswell, 2017; White, 2014). One recent meta‐analysis (Liu et al., 2023) concluded the benefits of mindfulness‐based interventions among nurses in reducing anxiety and depression compared to the control groups or the conventional interventions. However, the effects on stress, anxiety, and depression have yielded conflicting findings.…”

“…Liu et al. (2023) determined that anxiety and depression were significantly reduced by mindfulness‐based interventions. In our meta‐analysis, mindfulness interventions could effectively reduce stress and depression but not anxiety levels.…”

“…One recent meta-analysis (Liu et al, 2023) and psychoeducation versus meditation (Watanabe et al, 2019). Two researchers (Watanabe et al, 2019) applied psychoeducation to a control group, whereas another researcher (Grabbe et al, 2020) used psychoeducation as a mindfulness-based practice in the treatment group.…”

“…Given the advantageous effects of mindfulness-based interventions, several studies, including reviews, have been conducted to evaluate the modality's effectiveness on lowering psychological distress among nurses (Jung et al, 2021;Kang & Myung, 2022;Liu et al, 2023;Ramachandran et al, 2022;Sulosaari et al, 2022). The work of Jung et al (2021) and Sulosaari et al (2022) discovered that the modalities benefits to increase wellbeing and reduce burnout among nurses.…”

“…Yet the findings were provided qualitatively, making it difficult to objectively estimate the effects of the interventions. Furthermore, Liu et al (2023) discovered that mindfulness-based interventions significantly reduced anxiety (p < 0.001) among nurses, and another study conducted in 2022 discovered that these interventions were beneficial in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression among nurses (p = 0.001) (Kang & Myung, 2022). However, another study conducted the same year showed that mindfulness-based interventions did not improve stress (p = 0.36, n = 3), anxiety (p = 0.07, n = 2), depression (p = 0.34, n = 3) among nurses (Ramachandran et al, 2022).…”