Premium
A systematic review of the impact of mindfulness on the well‐being of healthcare professionals
Author(s) -
Lomas Tim,
Medina Juan Carlos,
Ivtzan Itai,
Rupprecht Silke,
EiroaOrosa Francisco José
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.124
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1097-4679
pISSN - 0021-9762
DOI - 10.1002/jclp.22515
Subject(s) - mindfulness , burnout , psychology , anxiety , meditation , health care , distress , clinical psychology , systematic review , health professionals , well being , empirical research , psychotherapist , medline , psychiatry , philosophy , theology , epistemology , economics , economic growth , political science , law
Objective Among efforts to improve the well‐being of healthcare professionals are initiatives based around mindfulness meditation. To understand the value of such initiatives, we conducted a systematic review of empirical studies pertaining to mindfulness in healthcare professionals. Method Databases were reviewed from the start of records to January 2016. Eligibility criteria included empirical analyses of mindfulness and well‐being outcomes acquired in relation to practice. 81 papers met the eligibility criteria, comprising a total of 3,805 participants. Studies were principally examined for outcomes such as burnout, distress, anxiety, depression, and stress. Results Mindfulness was generally associated with positive outcomes in relation to most measures (although results were more equivocal with respect to some outcomes, most notably burnout). Conclusion Overall, mindfulness does appear to improve the well‐being of healthcare professionals. However, the quality of the studies was inconsistent, so further research is needed, particularly high‐quality randomized controlled trials.