Does mindfulness reduce perceived stress in healthcare professionals?

Background. - Healthcare professionals (HCPs) are exposed to multiple psychosocial risks that may lead to high levels of stress and low levels of life satisfaction and well-being. Mindfulness, defined as the awareness that arises by intentionally paying attention in the present moment and in a non-judgmental way, seems to be a moderator in the causal association between life stressors and well-being.Aims. - The aim of the present study was to test the model of relationships between self-reported mindfulness, perceived stress, well-being index and life satisfaction in a sample of Tunisian HCPs. Methods. - We performed a correlational cross-sectional study on a sample of HCPs at Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Tunisia. We used validated self-reporting instruments: the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the World Health Organisation Well-Being Index (WHO-5) and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). For data analysis, the SPSS version 23 program was used. Results. - Participants (n = 297) included staff nurses (49.2%), medical technicians (19.2%) and doctors (31.6%). The overall model revealed that reduced perceived stress (beta = -0.30, P < 0.000) and high levels of well-being (beta = 0.13, P = 0.03) were associated with mindfulness, explaining 14% of the variance. Individually, perceived stress significantly predicted mindfulness explaining 13% of the variance. Conclusion. - The study explores a variety of elements that can support the development of mindfulness interventions for stress prevention, staff well-being, and improvement of services as a whole.(c) 2022 L'Encephale, Paris.