An Online Mindfulness-based Intervention Decreases Stress, Anxiety, and Depression in Indian Healthcare Providers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Study.

An online brief mindfulness-based intervention reduced stress, anxiety, and depression among Indian healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were randomized to mindfulness sessions or usual care. After the program, the mindfulness group showed significantly lower scores on perceived stress, generalized anxiety, and depression measures compared to the usual care group. Mindfulness characteristics and quality of life in several domains also improved. The authors suggest the intervention had a positive effect but note that larger studies are needed to confirm these benefits.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic contributed enormously to the psychosocial distress of Indian healthcare providers. The mental well-being of the healthcare community remains an underappreciated priority in India. The primary objective was to observe the results of an online brief mindfulness-based intervention on stress, anxiety, and depression, and the secondary objective was to examine its effects on mindfulness characteristics and World health Organization (WHO) quality of life among Indian healthcare providers during pandemic times. The study population was randomized into two groups to attend either "mindfulness" sessions or "usual care" sessions. The outcome variables were stress (using the perceived stress scale: PSS), anxiety (generalized anxiety disorder scores: GAD7), depression (patient health questionnaire: PHQ9), mindfulness characteristics (Freiburg mindfulness inventory: FMI), and quality of life (WHO-QOL100). These variables were recorded pre- and postprogram. Statistical analysis included the use of unpaired and paired t -tests. The postsession mean scores in the "mindfulness" group compared to the "usual care" group decreased significantly in PSS, GAD7, and PHQ9, with p < 0.0001, p = 0.0102, and p = 0.0462, respectively. There was an increase in FMI with p < 0.0001 and in WHO-QOL domains 1, 2, and 4, with p = 0.0008, p < 0.0001, and p = 0.0194, respectively. The online brief mindfulness-based intervention created a positive effect on stress, anxiety, and depression. The postprogram mindfulness characteristics and WHO quality of life also improved in Indian healthcare providers during pandemic times. Further large-scale research will be needed to support these beneficial effects.