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Conference Paper: Effects of mindfulness training for healthcare staff during COVID-19 outbreak for the cultivation of resilience and compassion
Title | Effects of mindfulness training for healthcare staff during COVID-19 outbreak for the cultivation of resilience and compassion |
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Authors | |
Issue Date | 2021 |
Publisher | Oxford University Press. The Journal's web site is located at https://academic.oup.com/abm |
Citation | The 42nd Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions of the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM), Virtual Conference, 12-16 April 2021. Abstracts in Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 2021, v. 55 n. Supp.1, p. S179 How to Cite? |
Abstract | Introduction: In working to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare staff face difficult challenges that could impact their physical and psychological well-being. Reports from the 2003 SARS outbreak in Hong Kong showed that medical professionals experienced heightened anxiety levels. In the present study, a brief mindfulness training program was introduced to healthcare staff in Hong Kong to examine the impact on their psychological well-being. The teaching and practices offered in the program aimed to help them manage stress and cultivate resilience. Research Design: The study was conducted between June and August 2020, between the second and third waves of local COVID-19 outbreak. Thirty healthcare staff from local medical centres attended a brief mindfulness training program consisting of four weekly 2-hour sessions. A self-report questionnaire was administered before and after the training program, and one month after program completion, to measure changes in perceived stress, self-efficacy, general health, and self-compassion. Results: Improvement in psychological well-being was found one month after completion of training. Comparisons between follow-up and baseline measures showed a significant decrease in General Health Questionnaire scores (t(29)=- 2.917, p=.007), indicating an improvement in psychological state. Furthermore, an improvement in Self-Compassion was found (t(29)=3.848, p=.001). There was a significant increase in self-soothing thoughts (self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness; t(29)=3.456, p=.002), and decrease in self-defeating thoughts (self-judgment, isolation, and over-identification; t(29)=-3.066, p=.005). However, there was also a significant increase in perceived stress (t(29)=2.252, p=.032), and no significant changes in self-efficacy. Conclusions: The mindfulness intervention was effective in enhancing general health and self-compassion in participants. The data suggests that despite the increase in perceived stress, which can possibly be explained by the uncertainties of local COVID-19 outbreak during the follow-up, participants could still maintain the increase in general health and self-compassion one month after training. Overall, this study demonstrated the positive effects of introducing mindfulness practice to healthcare staff during the pandemic as a prevention measure against the residual negative impact on their mental health. Further research with a control group and a larger sample are necessary to confirm these findings. |
Description | Research Talk |
Persistent Identifier | http://hdl.handle.net/10722/300214 |
ISSN | 2023 Impact Factor: 3.6 2023 SCImago Journal Rankings: 1.432 |
DC Field | Value | Language |
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dc.contributor.author | Wong, VPY | - |
dc.contributor.author | Cheung, V | - |
dc.contributor.author | Ho, RTH | - |
dc.date.accessioned | 2021-06-04T08:39:46Z | - |
dc.date.available | 2021-06-04T08:39:46Z | - |
dc.date.issued | 2021 | - |
dc.identifier.citation | The 42nd Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions of the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM), Virtual Conference, 12-16 April 2021. Abstracts in Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 2021, v. 55 n. Supp.1, p. S179 | - |
dc.identifier.issn | 0883-6612 | - |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10722/300214 | - |
dc.description | Research Talk | - |
dc.description.abstract | Introduction: In working to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare staff face difficult challenges that could impact their physical and psychological well-being. Reports from the 2003 SARS outbreak in Hong Kong showed that medical professionals experienced heightened anxiety levels. In the present study, a brief mindfulness training program was introduced to healthcare staff in Hong Kong to examine the impact on their psychological well-being. The teaching and practices offered in the program aimed to help them manage stress and cultivate resilience. Research Design: The study was conducted between June and August 2020, between the second and third waves of local COVID-19 outbreak. Thirty healthcare staff from local medical centres attended a brief mindfulness training program consisting of four weekly 2-hour sessions. A self-report questionnaire was administered before and after the training program, and one month after program completion, to measure changes in perceived stress, self-efficacy, general health, and self-compassion. Results: Improvement in psychological well-being was found one month after completion of training. Comparisons between follow-up and baseline measures showed a significant decrease in General Health Questionnaire scores (t(29)=- 2.917, p=.007), indicating an improvement in psychological state. Furthermore, an improvement in Self-Compassion was found (t(29)=3.848, p=.001). There was a significant increase in self-soothing thoughts (self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness; t(29)=3.456, p=.002), and decrease in self-defeating thoughts (self-judgment, isolation, and over-identification; t(29)=-3.066, p=.005). However, there was also a significant increase in perceived stress (t(29)=2.252, p=.032), and no significant changes in self-efficacy. Conclusions: The mindfulness intervention was effective in enhancing general health and self-compassion in participants. The data suggests that despite the increase in perceived stress, which can possibly be explained by the uncertainties of local COVID-19 outbreak during the follow-up, participants could still maintain the increase in general health and self-compassion one month after training. Overall, this study demonstrated the positive effects of introducing mindfulness practice to healthcare staff during the pandemic as a prevention measure against the residual negative impact on their mental health. Further research with a control group and a larger sample are necessary to confirm these findings. | - |
dc.language | eng | - |
dc.publisher | Oxford University Press. The Journal's web site is located at https://academic.oup.com/abm | - |
dc.relation.ispartof | Annals of Behavioral Medicine | - |
dc.relation.ispartof | Society of Behavioral Medicine 42nd Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions, 2021 | - |
dc.title | Effects of mindfulness training for healthcare staff during COVID-19 outbreak for the cultivation of resilience and compassion | - |
dc.type | Conference_Paper | - |
dc.identifier.email | Wong, PY: venuspyw@hku.hk | - |
dc.identifier.email | Cheung, V: vkchg@hku.hk | - |
dc.identifier.email | Ho, RTH: tinho@hku.hk | - |
dc.identifier.authority | Wong, PY=rp02820 | - |
dc.identifier.authority | Ho, RTH=rp00497 | - |
dc.description.nature | link_to_OA_fulltext | - |
dc.identifier.hkuros | 322686 | - |
dc.identifier.volume | 55 | - |
dc.identifier.issue | Supp.1 | - |
dc.identifier.spage | S179 | - |
dc.identifier.epage | S179 | - |
dc.publisher.place | United States | - |
dc.identifier.partofdoi | 10.1093/abm/kaab020 | - |