Stress, Mindfulness and Psychological Interventions

Biography

Biography: Edilaine Cristina da Silva Gherardi-Donato

Abstract

Mindfulness-based practices have showing promising results for mental health and positive changes at workplace context. The present study evaluated an intervention of Mindfulness-based practices in technical-administrative workers to improve mental health parameters: Perceived Stress, Depression, Anxiety, Burnout and Mindfulness. Method: 60 subjects participated, they were randomized to a group that received an intervention with Mindfulness-based practices for eight weeks (Mindfulness Program) (Experimental Group [EG]: 30 participants) and to a group that received no intervention (Control Group [CG]: 30 participants). The main outcome evaluated was Perceived Stress, through the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS14), and the secondary outcomes were Depression by Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), Anxiety by Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Burnout by Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey (MBI-GS), and Mindfulness by Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ-BR). Outcomes were assessed before (T0) and after the intervention (T1). Descriptive analysis, Pearson's Chi-square test and Fisher's exact test were performed to compare distributions of the variables between EG and CG groups. Mann-Whitney test was performed to evaluate intergroup changes between T0 and T1. We adopted a significance criteria of 0.05. Clinical trial registered under the number UTN: U1111-1179-7619. Results. The EG presented a reduction in the mean scores for Perceived Stress (p <0.001), Depression (p <0.001) and Anxiety (p = 0.003), and increased the total mean score for Mindfulness (p = 0.012) and at the facet 3-Observe: p = 0.010 and facet 6-Do not react to internal experience: p = 0.002, when compared to CG. The same post-intervention effect was not observed for Burnout at the total score (p = 0.314) and its dimensions of the scale (Emotional Exhaustion: p = 0.083; Cynicism: p = 0.736 and Work Efficacy: p = .486). The results showed that Mindfulness Program resulted in reduction of Perceived Stress, Depression, Anxiety and increased Mindfulness, demonstrating the beneficial potential of Mindfulness-based practices for a nonclinical population of workers. The present study, point out the effectiveness of Mindfulness based intervention as a low-cost practice, free of adverse effects and with a range of positive benefits.