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

Abstract

AbstractPurposeNurses increasingly use mindfulness as an effective mental health intervention to reduce psychological distress. The effectiveness of mindfulness‐based interventions remains inconclusive, which may lead to implementation of interventions in an inefficient or ineffective manner. This study aimed to examine the effects of mindfulness‐based interventions on reducing stress, anxiety, and depression among nurses.DesignSystematic review and meta‐analysis.MethodsRandomized controlled trials (RCTs) were searched using six databases published through May 20, 2023, which evaluated the effects of mindfulness‐based interventions on reducing psychological distress among nurses. To assess the quality of methodology included in the RCTs, version 2 of the Cochrane risk‐of‐bias instrument for RCTs with five domains was used. Standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using the random–effects model in the meta‐analyses. Publication bias was assessed using Egger's regression test. Further, the robustness effect size of the pooled analysis was assessed using leave‐one‐out sensitivity analysis.FindingsA total of 16 RCTs were included in the final analysis. Overall, the modalities appeared to alleviate stress (pooled SMD: −0.50 [95% CI: −0.82 to −0.18]; p < 0.001) and depression (pooled SMD: −0.42 [95% CI: −0.78 to −0.06]; p = 0.02) among nurses.ConclusionMindfulness‐based interventions appear to alleviate stress and depression in nurses. Future research evaluating mindfulness‐based interventions among working nurses with more rigorous methodological and larger sample size.Clinical RelevanceSupport for nurses' mental health must be included while implementing personal and professional development plans.