INTRODUCTION

Burnout is becoming more common among healthcare professionals, notably during the COVID-19 pandemic. It can result in lower performance and effectiveness at work as well as employment withdrawal, all of which affects the standard of healthcare services provided.

OBJECTIVE

In order to ascertain the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation-based interventions (MMBIs) in reducing burnout among healthcare workers, a systematic review and meta-analysis was done.

METHODS

Two investigators searched records in CENTRAL, PubMed/MEDLINE, Google Scholar, Preprints, Grey Literature, and cross-referencing to acquire articles using search terms related to “mindfulness meditation”, “healthcare workers”, and “burnout”. Inclusion criteria included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and nonrandomized controlled trials (NRTs) that assessed the effectiveness of MMBIs on burnout as measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) among healthcare workers in the hospital setting. Study selection, data extraction, risk of bias assessment were done by the investigators independently. Analysis was done using RevMan 5 software, forest plots were generated, and subgroup analyses were done.

RESULTS

Of 25,453 identified records, 28 studies were included. The studies were rated with low to unclear selection bias and high risk of performance bias. MMBIs were associated with significant reduction on the emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal accomplishment subscales with pooled mean differences of -2.60 (95% CI = -3.64, -1.55), -0.51 (95% CI = -0.77, -0.26), and 0.82 (95% CI = 0.24, 1.39), respectively. On subgroup analyses, the types of MMBI implemented had no influence in the intervention effect noted on all subscales among RCTs but had significant influence among NRTs. Reduction of burnout was noted to be higher in nurses compared with physicians and mixed healthcare workers. Overall quality of evidence for RCTs was low to moderate and very low to low for NRTs.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that MMBIs can reduce the burnout symptoms of healthcare workers. To address the high risk of bias of included studies and improve quality of evidence, future research should be done with high-quality RCTs.

Meditation ; Burnout, Psychological ; Health Personnel ; Healthcare Workers

Background: Heartfulness meditation aims to help individuals connect to their inner self to attain peace and a balanced state of mind. Previous studies have been conducted to gain mechanistic insights into the effects of Heartfulness meditation on bodily and cellular functioning as well as in enhancing one’s psychological, emotional and social well-being. However, most of the research is quantitative in approach, and has not been able to capture the intricacies of human lived experiences involved during the process of meditation. This qualitative study aims to understand the lived experiences of Heartfulness practitioners. Method: A thematic analysis strategy was utilized to discover the themes which represented the meaning behind the reported narrative experiences of Heartfulness practitioners. Twenty-five Heartfulness meditation practitioners were recruited at a Heartfulness retreat at the International Heartfulness Centre in Hyderabad, India to gain their insights. Result: The current study found that for Heartfulness practitioners, positive changes become gradually visible with regular practice. The process of Heartfulness meditation was found to directly influence physical, psychological, social, cognitive, as well as spiritual benefits. Conclusion In-depth lived experiences were explored which add personalized human elements to the field of Heartfulness meditative practice. Implications and limitations of the current study were also addressed and suggestions for future research were discussed.
Qualitative Research ; Models, Biopsychosocial ; Meditation

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of mindfulness meditation training for improving anxiety, depression and sleep disorders in perimenopausal women. METHODS: Intervention by menopause meditation training was delivered in 121 perimenopausal women with anxiety, depression or sleep disorders in Baiyun District, Guangzhou. Before and after the intervention, the Self-rating Anxiety Scale, Self-rating Depression Scale and Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index were used for assessment of changes in the conditions of the women. RESULTS: After menopausal meditation training, the perimenopausal women showed significant improvement in the mean scores of Self-rating Anxiety Scale (48.26 ± 6.47; =3.865, < 0.01), Selfrating Depression Scale (50.27 ± 6.54; =4.541, < 0.01) and Pittsburgh Sleep Questionnaire (10.64 ± 4.38; =5.596, < 0.01). The symptom remission rates differed significantly among the women with different self-practice frequencies ( < 0.01). The remission rates of anxiety, depression and sleep disorder increased significantly with the frequency of self-exercise ( < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Mindfulness meditation training can effectively alleviate the symptoms of anxiety and depression and improve the quality of sleep in perimenopausal women, and the frequency of the exercise is positively correlated with the improvements. Mindfulness meditation training can be an effective intervention for improving the mental health of perimenopausal women.
Anxiety ; Depression ; Female ; Humans ; Meditation ; Mindfulness ; Perimenopause ; Sleep

Mindfulness is a process in which all thoughts, feelings, sensations, and all phenomena that happen to me are uncritically recognized as they are, so that they are eventually accepted and released without identifying or automatically responding to them. The clinical effects of mindfulness-based therapy have already been demonstrated in several studies. However, consistent results have not been reported for the mechanism of mindfulness-based treatment. Thus, this review aimed to describe a systematic review of the literature and research on the mechanisms of mindfulness-based interventions. Experienced meditators showed a physiological change in a ‘wakeful hypometabolic state’ during mindfulness meditation. In mindfulness meditation, it is known that certain areas other than brain activation during relaxation are additionally activated, particularly activation of fronto-limbic and fronto-parietal neural networks. The psychological mechanisms include meta-cognitive awareness, emotion regulation, reduction of automatic and self-referential thinking, concentration control, self-compassion, improvement of value clarification and self-regulation, exposure, extinction, and reconsolidation. Of the brain regions with changes in activity associated with mindfulness meditation, prefrontal cortex, the default mode network including cortical midline structures were associated with emotion regulation, concentration control, and reduction of automatic and self-referential thinking. In addition, brain regions associated with mindfulness meditation have been reported in the hippocampus, amygdala, and medical frontal cortices associated with memory reconsolidation and fear extinction. Thus, mindfulness-based interventions have a psychological and neurobiological effect with a special mechanism different from other psychological interventions, so that mindfulness based intervention can be an effective therapeutic intervention with a different mechanism from other psychological techniques.
Amygdala ; Brain ; Frontal Lobe ; Hippocampus ; Meditation ; Memory ; Mindfulness ; Prefrontal Cortex ; Psychological Techniques ; Relaxation ; Self-Control ; Sensation ; Thinking

BACKGROUND: The government staffs studied in this research has been easily exposed to excessive job stress, which can lead to a variety of psychosocial problems and poor quality of life. In this study, we examined the effect of the self reflection meditation program on the psychosocial health and stress responses of government staffs, to suggest the intervention program improving psychosocial health and quality of life in government staffs.METHODS: In this study, we measured the conditions of 36 local government staffs based on self reflection scale, psychosocial health and stress score before and after implementing the short-term intensive meditation program.RESULTS: The results showed that there were significant increase in social role performance and self confidence(p=.003), general health and vitality(p=.019) and significant decrease in stress(p=.010). This change was prominently showed in administrative officer and depression and anxiety(p=.034) also significantly decreased after program.CONCLUSION: Self reflection meditation program was effective in improving the psychosocial health and physical health of government staffs. Therefore, self reflection meditation program could be proposed as program for stress management and promotion of quality of life in government staff.
Depression ; Local Government ; Meditation ; Quality of Life

OBJECTIVETo reveal the force mechanism for therapeutic effect of pushing manipulation with one-finger meditation.

METHODSA total of 15 participants were recruited in this study and assigned to an expert group, a skilled group and a novice group, with 5 participants in each group. Mechanical signals were collected from a biomechanical testing platform, and these data were further observed via similarity analysis and cluster analysis.

RESULTSComparing the force waveforms of manipulation revealed that the manipulation forces were similar between the expert group and the skilled group (P>0.05). The mean value of vertical force was 9.8 N, and 95% CI rang from 6.37 to 14.70 N, but there were significant differences compared with the novice group (P<0.05). The result of overall similarity coefficient cluster analysis showed that two kinds of manipulation forces curves were existed between the expert group and the skilled group.

CONCLUSIONPushing manipulation with one-finger meditation is a kind of light stimulation manipulation on the acupoint, and force characteristics of double waveforms continuously alternated during manual operation.

Acupuncture Points ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; physiology ; Clinical Competence ; Fingers ; physiology ; Hand Strength ; physiology ; Humans ; Individuality ; Massage ; education ; methods ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Meditation ; methods ; Models, Theoretical ; Musculoskeletal Manipulations ; education ; methods ; standards

BACKGROUND: Many patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing hemodialysis (HD) experience depression. Depression influences patient quality of life (QOL), dialysis compliance, and medical comorbidity. We developed and applied a group cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) program including mindfulness meditation for ESRD patients undergoing HD, and measured changes in QOL, mood, anxiety, perceived stress, and biochemical markers. METHODS: We conducted group CBT over a 12-week period with seven ESRD patients undergoing HD and suffering from depression. QOL, mood, anxiety, and perceived stress were measured at baseline and at weeks 8 and 12 using the World Health Organization Quality of Life scale, abbreviated version (WHOQOL-BREF), the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II), the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Biochemical markers were measured at baseline and after 12 weeks. The Temperament and Character Inventory was performed to assess patient characteristics before starting group CBT. RESULTS: The seven patients showed significant improvement in QOL, mood, anxiety, and perceived stress after 12 weeks of group CBT. WHOQOL-BREF and the self-rating scales, BDI-II and BAI, showed continuous improvement across the 12-week period. HAM-D scores showed significant improvement by week 8; PSS showed significant improvement after week 8. Serum creatinine levels also improved significantly following the 12 week period. CONCLUSION: In this pilot study, a CBT program which included mindfulness meditation enhanced overall mental health and biochemical marker levels in ESRD patients undergoing HD.
Anxiety ; Biomarkers ; Cognitive Therapy* ; Comorbidity ; Compliance ; Creatinine ; Depression ; Dialysis ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic* ; Meditation ; Mental Health ; Mindfulness* ; Pilot Projects ; Quality of Life ; Renal Dialysis* ; Temperament ; Weights and Measures ; World Health Organization

BackgroundSeveral studies have reported that mindfulness meditation has a potential effect in controlling headaches, such as migraine and tension-type headache; however, its role remains controversial. This review assessed the evidence regarding the effects of mindfulness meditation for primary headache pain.

MethodsOnly English databases (PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials [the Cochrane Library], PsycINFO, Psychology and behavioral science collection, PsyArticles, Web of Science, and Scopus) were searched from their inception to November 2016 with the keywords ("meditation" or "mindfulness" or "vipassana" or "dzogchen" or "zen" or "integrative body-mind training" or "IBMT" or "mindfulness-based stress reduction" or "MBSR" or "mindfulness-based cognitive therapy" or "MBCT" and "Headache" or "Head pain" or "Cephalodynia" or "Cephalalgia" or "Hemicrania" or "Migraine"). Titles, abstracts, and full-text articles were screened against study inclusion criteria: controlled trials of structured meditation programs for adult patients with primary headache pain. The quality of studies included in the meta-analysis was assessed with the Yates Quality Rating Scale. The meta-analysis was conducted with Revman 5.3.

ResultsTen randomized controlled trials and one controlled clinical trial with a combined study population of 315 patients were included in the study. When compared to control group data, mindfulness meditation induced significant improvement in pain intensity (standardized mean difference, -0.89; 95% confidence interval, -1.63 to -0.15; P = 0.02) and headache frequency (-0.67; -1.24 to -0.10; P = 0.02). In a subgroup analysis of different meditation forms, mindfulness-based stress reduction displayed a significant positive influence on pain intensity (P < 0.000). Moreover, 8-week intervention had a significant positive effect (P < 0.000).

ConclusionsMindfulness meditation may reduce pain intensity and is a promising treatment option for patients. Clinicians may consider mindfulness meditation as a viable complementary and alternative medical option for primary headache.

Headache ; therapy ; Humans ; Meditation ; methods ; Mindfulness ; methods ; Pain ; prevention & control ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic

PURPOSE: The present study was to examine the effect of a meditation-based exercise program on the motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). METHODS: Sixty three PD patients who were recruited from a university hospital were randomly assigned to the experimental group (n = 33) and to the control group (n = 30). Participants completed an 8-week Mindfulness Meditation-based Complex Exercise Program (MMBCEP) that included 6 sessions. Before and after the intervention, the Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), elastic band pull, chair stand test, and 2.45-meter walk test were administered for the motor symptoms and the Korean Version of Geriatric Depression Scale, The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Korean-Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale (PDSS), Activities of Daily Living (ADL), and the Quality of Life of Patients with Parkinson's Disease (PDQL) were administered for non-motor symptoms. RESULTS: Significant improvements in the motor symptoms (i.e., muscle strength (lower and upper extremity), balance, and muscle endurance) and in the non-motor symptoms (i.e., anxiety, depression, cognitive functions, sleep disturbance, quality of life, and activities of daily living) were observed. CONCLUSIONS: MMBCEP, a complex exercise program-based on mindfulness meditation, is associated with increased motor symptoms, decreased emotional disturbances (anxiety and depression) and sleep disturbance, and improved cognitive functions, quality of life, and activities of daily living. Future research should test the effects of MMBCEP with more representative PD patients.
Activities of Daily Living ; Affective Symptoms ; Anxiety ; Cognition ; Depression ; Humans ; Meditation ; Mindfulness* ; Muscle Strength ; Parkinson Disease* ; Quality of Life*

Yoga originated in India more than 5,000 years ago and is a means of balancing and harmonizing the body, mind, and emotions. Yoga practice is useful in the management of various lifestyle diseases, including type 2 diabetes. Psycho-neuro-endocrine and immune mechanisms are involved in the beneficial effects of yoga on diabetes. Incorporation of yoga practice in daily life helps to attain glycaemic control and reduces the risk of complications in people with diabetes. In this review, we briefly describe the role of various yoga practices in the management of diabetes based on evidence from various clinical studies.
Diabetes Mellitus ; India ; Life Style ; Meditation ; Yoga*