Implementation of a Mindfulness-Based Crisis Intervention for Frontline Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Outbreak in a Public General Hospital in Madrid, Spain

Beatriz Rodriguez-Vega, Ángela Palao, Ainoa Muñoz-Sanjose, Marta Torrijos, Pablo Aguirre, Arancha Fernández, Blanca Amador, Cristina Rocamora, Laura Blanco, Jesús Marti-Esquitino, Aránzazu Ortiz-Villalobos, Mónica Alonso-Sañudo, Susana Cebolla, Javier Curto, Rosa Villanueva, María-Jesús de-la-Iglesia, Diego Carracedo, Carlos Casado, Emma Vidal, Daniel Trigo, Noelia Iglesias, Diana Cabañas, Loreto Mellado, Daniel García, Consuelo Fernández-Encinas, Rubén Navarro, Roberto Mediavilla, María-Paz Vidal-Villegas, María-Fe Bravo-Ortiz, Carmen Bayón, Beatriz Rodriguez-Vega, Ángela Palao, Ainoa Muñoz-Sanjose, Marta Torrijos, Pablo Aguirre, Arancha Fernández, Blanca Amador, Cristina Rocamora, Laura Blanco, Jesús Marti-Esquitino, Aránzazu Ortiz-Villalobos, Mónica Alonso-Sañudo, Susana Cebolla, Javier Curto, Rosa Villanueva, María-Jesús de-la-Iglesia, Diego Carracedo, Carlos Casado, Emma Vidal, Daniel Trigo, Noelia Iglesias, Diana Cabañas, Loreto Mellado, Daniel García, Consuelo Fernández-Encinas, Rubén Navarro, Roberto Mediavilla, María-Paz Vidal-Villegas, María-Fe Bravo-Ortiz, Carmen Bayón

Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 outbreak is having an impact on the well-being of healthcare workers. Mindfulness-based interventions have shown effectiveness in reducing stress and fostering resilience and recovery in healthcare workers. There are no studies examining the feasibility of brief mindfulness-based interventions during the COVID-19 outbreak. Materials and Methods: This is an exploratory study with a post intervention assessment. We describe an on-site brief mindfulness intervention and evaluate its helpfulness, safety, and feasibility. Results: One thousand out of 7,000 (14%) healthcare workers from La Paz University Hospital in Madrid (Spain) participated in at least one session. One hundred and fifty out of 1,000 (15%) participants filled out a self-report questionnaire evaluating the helpfulness of the intervention for on-site stress reduction. Ninety two subjects (61%) participated in more than one session. Most of the participants were women (80%) with a mean age of 38.6 years. Almost half of the sample were nurses (46%). Sessions were perceived as being helpful with a mean rating of 8.4 on a scale from 0 to 10. Only 3 people (2%) reported a minor adverse effect (increased anxiety or dizziness). Discussion: Our data supports the utility, safety and feasibility of an on-site, brief mindfulness-based intervention designed to reduce stress for frontline health workers during a crisis. There is a need to continue testing this type of interventions, and to integrate emotion regulation strategies as an essential part of health workers' general training. Clinical Trial Registration number: NCT04555005.

Keywords: COVID-19; brief mindfulness-based intervention; compassion; general hospital; healthcare workers; implementation; mindfulness; stress.

Copyright © 2020 Rodriguez-Vega, Palao, Muñoz-Sanjose, Torrijos, Aguirre, Fernández, Amador, Rocamora, Blanco, Marti-Esquitino, Ortiz-Villalobos, Alonso-Sañudo, Cebolla, Curto, Villanueva, de-la-Iglesia, Carracedo, Casado, Vidal, Trigo, Iglesias, Cabañas, Mellado, García, Fernández-Encinas, Navarro, Mediavilla, Vidal-Villegas, Bravo-Ortiz and Bayón.

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