Yoga and Mindfulness as a Tool for Influencing Affectivity, Anxiety, Mental Health, and Stress among Healthcare Workers: Results of a Single-Arm Clinical Trial
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Settings and Participants
2.2. Intervention
- 5–10 min of starting session with motivational purposes
- 30 min of breathing, posture, and sound exercises meant to achieve benefits for work-related stress and burnout (shoulders, neck, hips, and leg muscles were the most treated body district)
- 20 min of pranayama, aiming at slowing and controlling breathing with diaphragmatic respiration exercises to reduce perceived anxiety. The most used pranayamas were “bastrika” breathing, Nadi Shodana, alternate nostrils breathing, and breath of fire. Participants were asked to do home practice by performing the yoga programs as often as possible, at least twice a week.
- 20 min of specific meditation exercises with movements and postures for releasing tension, relieving fatigue, and achieving mental well-being.
- 5 min of mantra (formula repeated many times with meditative purposes)
- 10 min of relaxation
2.3. Instruments
- before the beginning of the course: SF-12, the 15-item form of Karasek, and STAI Y2
- before starting each 4 h session: STAI Y1 and PANAS
- at the end of each 4 h session: STAI Y1 and PANAS
- 21 days after the courses: SF-12, a short form of Karasek, and STAI Y2.
2.3.1. SF-12
2.3.2. Job Content Questionnaire
- decision latitude;
- psychological demands;
- social support;
- physical demands;
- job insecurity.
2.3.3. STAI
2.3.4. PANAS
2.4. Statistical Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Univariate Analysis: Comparison Pre- and Postintervention
3.1.1. SF-12
3.1.2. JCQ
3.1.3. PANAS
3.1.4. STAI
3.2. Multivariate Analysis: Linear Regression on Delta Scores
4. Discussion
4.1. Limitations
4.2. Directions for Future Research
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Variable | n (%) or Mean (SD) |
---|---|
Gender | |
Females | 34 (85) |
Males | 6 (15) |
Age | 47.3 (10.9) |
Health Professions | |
Physicians | 13 (32.5) |
Nurses | 15 (37.5) |
Other HCW | 12 (30) |
Hospital | |
Teaching hospital | 28 (70) |
Pediatric hospital | 12 (30) |
Variables | Pre-Course Median (Min–Max) | Post-Course Median (Min–Max) | p-Value |
---|---|---|---|
SF-12: | |||
MCS-12 | 43.5 (21.5–59.4) | 48.1 (20.4–56.7) | 0.041 |
PCS-12 | 49.4 (36.2–65.5) | 54.8 (36.6–60.5) | 0.09 |
JCQ: | |||
Decision latitude | 54 (42–66) | 54 (4– 68) | 0.419 |
Job demand | 27 (11–41) | 26 (12–38) | 0.373 |
Job strain | 0.76 (0.28–1.18) | 0.72 (0.36–1.08) | 0.100 |
PANAS: | |||
Positive | 37 (21–49) | 36.5 (18–50) | 0.762 |
Negative | 16 (10–34) | 10 (8–26) | <0.001 |
STAI Y2 (trait) | 46.0 (38–56) | 43.5 (32–55) | 0.009 |
STAI Y1 (state) | 62 (55–72) | 45.5 (34–52) | <0.001 |
Variables | Gender | Age | Physicians | Teaching Hospital | R2 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
SF-12 | |||||
MCS-12 | −0.005 (0.979) | 0.056 (0.772) | 0.089 (0.606) | −0.075 (0.702) | 0.014 |
PCS-12 | −0.05 (0.765) | −0.205 (0.268) | 0.123 (0.457) | 0.373 (0.052) | 0.111 |
Karasek | |||||
Decision latitude | −0.074 (0.646) | 0.092 (0.604) | 0.050 (0-753) | −0.422 (0.024) | 0.171 |
Job demand | −0.058 (0.728) | −0.138 (0.458) | −0.176 (0.296) | 0.243 (0.204) | 0.086 |
Job strain | −0.032 (0.838) | −0.204 (0.248) | −0.141 (0.372) | 0.455 (0.015) | 0.189 |
PANAS | |||||
Positive | 0.0 (0.999) | 0.284 (0.127) | 0.227 (0.173) | −0.075 (0.689) | 0.111 |
Negative | −0.185 (0.276) | 0.010 (0.959) | 0.098 (0.559) | −0.171 (0.370) | 0.082 |
STAI Y2 trait | 0.115 (0.483) | −0.128 (0.481) | −0.326 (0.05) | −0.122 (0.510) | 0.130 |
STAI Y1 state | 0.089 (0.601) | 0.197 (0.298) | 0.053 (0.755) | 0.082 (0.671) | 0.061 |
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La Torre, G.; Raffone, A.; Peruzzo, M.; Calabrese, L.; Cocchiara, R.A.; D’Egidio, V.; Leggieri, P.F.; Dorelli, B.; Zaffina, S.; Mannocci, A.; et al. Yoga and Mindfulness as a Tool for Influencing Affectivity, Anxiety, Mental Health, and Stress among Healthcare Workers: Results of a Single-Arm Clinical Trial. J. Clin. Med. 2020, 9, 1037. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm9041037
La Torre G, Raffone A, Peruzzo M, Calabrese L, Cocchiara RA, D’Egidio V, Leggieri PF, Dorelli B, Zaffina S, Mannocci A, et al. Yoga and Mindfulness as a Tool for Influencing Affectivity, Anxiety, Mental Health, and Stress among Healthcare Workers: Results of a Single-Arm Clinical Trial. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2020; 9(4):1037. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm9041037
Chicago/Turabian StyleLa Torre, Giuseppe, Antonino Raffone, Margherita Peruzzo, Lucia Calabrese, Rosario Andrea Cocchiara, Valeria D’Egidio, Pasquale Fabio Leggieri, Barbara Dorelli, Salvatore Zaffina, Alice Mannocci, and et al. 2020. "Yoga and Mindfulness as a Tool for Influencing Affectivity, Anxiety, Mental Health, and Stress among Healthcare Workers: Results of a Single-Arm Clinical Trial" Journal of Clinical Medicine 9, no. 4: 1037. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm9041037