Randomized Controlled Trial of the Mindful Compassion Care Program in Reducing Psychological Distress Amongst Nurses During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Mindful Compassion Care Program: The intervention is a proven effective mindfulness programme based on well-known scientific programmes such as mindfulness-based stress reduction mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and compassion focused therapy.

Study summary

Recent studies have shown that nurses have been more affected by the COVID-19 pandemic than any other group of hospital workers in terms of anxiety, depression, and burnout. Several clinical studies had previously demonstrated the effectiveness of mindfulness and compassion interventions in reducing burnout and emotional distress amongst healthcare professionals. A parallel-group randomized controlled trial will assess the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of a mindfulness and compassion-focused programme on frontline nurses who had been working during the COVID-19 pandemic. Seventy-two participants will be divided equally into an intervention group and a control group. Primary outcome will be assessed using the Emotional Exhaustion subscale of the Maslach Burnout Inventory General Survey (MBI-GS). Secondary outcomes will be measured by the Cynicism and Professional Efficacy subscales of the MBI-GS; the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9); the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7); the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI); the Impact of Stressful Events (IES-R); the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS); the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ); and the Forms of Self-Criticising/attacking and Self-Reassuring Scale (FSCRS). The study aims to fill a gap in the literature and present a scientifically validated intervention for those healthcare professionals most exposed to the stressful conditions of working during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Emotional exhaustion — Change from baseline at 1 month follow-up
  Emotional exhaustion (EX) is a psychological construct that explores the perception of physical and emotional fatigue. It is characterized specifically by a lack of energy required to handle daily life and the prevalence of feelings of apathy and emotional detachment at work. EX is measured through the use of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey. The items were scored on a Likert scale from 0 (never) to 6 (everyday) (Schaufeli et al. 1996). High score is indicative of high levels of burnout.

Trial sites (1)

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