Effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Mental Health in Nurses: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Author: Mi-Jung Kang1, Seung-Kwon Myung2,3,4
Affiliation: <sup>1</sup> College of Nursing, Department of Nursing, Eulji University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea. <sup>2</sup> Department of Cancer Biomedical Science, National Cancer Center Graduate School of Cancer Science and Policy, Goyang, Republic of Korea. <sup>3</sup> Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Management, Research Institute, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Republic of Korea. <sup>4</sup> Department of Family Medicine and Center for Cancer Prevention and Detection, Hospital, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Republic of Korea.
Conference/Journal: Issues Ment Health Nurs
Date published: 2021 Jul 22
Other: Special Notes: doi: 10.1080/01612840.2021.1949765. , Word Count: 196


Mindfulness as a positive mental health intervention approach has been increasingly applied to nurses. This meta-analysis evaluated the psychological effects of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) on mental health in nurses. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, and CINAHL up to February 2020. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the effects of MBIs for nurses were included. Data extraction and the risk of bias assessment were conducted by two authors independently. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random-effects meta-analysis. Of 370 studies retrieve from databases, nine RCTs, which involved 572 participants with 283 in an intervention group and 289 in a control group, were included in the final analysis. Compared to the control groups (no treatment, treatment as usual, or active control), MBIs reduced psychological distress such as anxiety, depression, or stress (SMD = -0.47; 95% CI, -0.67 to -0.32; I2 = 34.7; n = 17) in nurses. Also, MBIs slightly improved psychological wellbeing such as resilience, wellbeing, or quality of life (SMD = 0.28; 95% CI, 0.11 to 0.46; I2 = 0.00; n = 8). However, no statistically significant effects were found in Job related outcomes (SMD = 0.23; 95% CI, -0.01 to 0.47; I2 = 20.5; n = 6). This meta-analysis found that MBIs had beneficial effects on mental health such as psychological distress and wellbeing in nurses.


PMID: 34292840 DOI: 10.1080/01612840.2021.1949765