TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of mobile app-based mindfulness practice on healthcare workers
T2 - a randomized active controlled trial
AU - Keng, Shian-Ling
AU - Chin, Joseph Wei Ern
AU - Mammadova, Maleyka
AU - Teo, Irene
N1 - Funding Information:
Open Access funding enabled and organized by CAUL and its Member Institutions The project was funded by a Start Up Grant (R-607–264-328–121) awarded by Yale-NUS College to Dr. Shian-Ling Keng, and the Yale-NUS Capstone Fund awarded to Joseph Wei Ern Chin. The study was completed when Dr. Shian-Ling Keng was a faculty member at Yale-NUS College, Singapore.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, The Author(s).
PY - 2022/11
Y1 - 2022/11
N2 - Objectives: Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers (HCWs) may be at greater risk of suffering from psychological distress compared to the general population. This study aimed to investigate the effects of mindfulness practice as delivered using Headspace on psychological and cognitive outcomes among HCWs in Singapore. Methods: A total of 80 HCWs were recruited and randomly assigned to engage in either 3 weeks (10 min/day) of mindfulness practice using Headspace or an active control condition (Lumosity; involving playing cognitive games). Participants were administered several self-report measures and two working memory (digit span) tasks at pre- and post-intervention, and one-month follow-up. Results: There were no significant between-condition changes on any outcome variables from pre- to post-intervention. From pre-intervention to 1-month follow-up, there were significantly greater improvements among Headspace participants on fear of COVID-19 (p =.005), compassion satisfaction (p =.007), trait mindfulness (p =.002), self-compassion (p =.005), sleep quality (p =.002), and the forward digit span task (p <.001). Several outcomes were mediated by increases in trait mindfulness or self-compassion. Conclusions: Use of Headspace may lead to downstream benefits in reducing distress and improving psychological health outcomes among HCWs. The findings have implications for improving psychological support resources for HCWs amidst a pandemic.
AB - Objectives: Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers (HCWs) may be at greater risk of suffering from psychological distress compared to the general population. This study aimed to investigate the effects of mindfulness practice as delivered using Headspace on psychological and cognitive outcomes among HCWs in Singapore. Methods: A total of 80 HCWs were recruited and randomly assigned to engage in either 3 weeks (10 min/day) of mindfulness practice using Headspace or an active control condition (Lumosity; involving playing cognitive games). Participants were administered several self-report measures and two working memory (digit span) tasks at pre- and post-intervention, and one-month follow-up. Results: There were no significant between-condition changes on any outcome variables from pre- to post-intervention. From pre-intervention to 1-month follow-up, there were significantly greater improvements among Headspace participants on fear of COVID-19 (p =.005), compassion satisfaction (p =.007), trait mindfulness (p =.002), self-compassion (p =.005), sleep quality (p =.002), and the forward digit span task (p <.001). Several outcomes were mediated by increases in trait mindfulness or self-compassion. Conclusions: Use of Headspace may lead to downstream benefits in reducing distress and improving psychological health outcomes among HCWs. The findings have implications for improving psychological support resources for HCWs amidst a pandemic.
KW - COVID-19
KW - Healthcare workers
KW - Mindfulness
KW - Mobile app interventions
KW - Psychological health
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85138174044&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s12671-022-01975-8
DO - 10.1007/s12671-022-01975-8
M3 - Article
C2 - 36160038
AN - SCOPUS:85138174044
SN - 1868-8527
VL - 13
SP - 2691
EP - 2704
JO - Mindfulness
JF - Mindfulness
IS - 11
ER -