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Breath-centered virtual mind-body medicine reduces COVID-related stress in women healthcare workers of the Regional Integrated Support for Education in Northern Ireland: a single group study

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers endured prolonged stress affecting their psychological well-being. Objectives: (1) Evaluate the effects of the Breath-Body-Mind Introductory Course (BBMIC) on COVID-related stress among employees of the Regional Integrated Support for Educ...

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Autores principales: Gerbarg, Patricia L., Dickson, Felicity, Conte, Vincent A., Brown, Richard P.
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Frontiers Media S.A. 2023
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10291294/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37377478
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1199819
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author Gerbarg, Patricia L.
Dickson, Felicity
Conte, Vincent A.
Brown, Richard P.
author_facet Gerbarg, Patricia L.
Dickson, Felicity
Conte, Vincent A.
Brown, Richard P.
author_sort Gerbarg, Patricia L.
collection PubMed
description BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers endured prolonged stress affecting their psychological well-being. Objectives: (1) Evaluate the effects of the Breath-Body-Mind Introductory Course (BBMIC) on COVID-related stress among employees of the Regional Integrated Support for Education, Northern Ireland, (2) Reduce the risk of adverse effects from COVID-related stress, and (3) Evaluate the effects of BBMIC on indicators of psychophysiological states and the consistency with hypothesized mechanisms of action. METHODS: In this single group study, a convenience sample of 39 female healthcare workers completed informed consent and baseline measures: Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Stress Overload Scale-Short (SOS-S), and Exercise-Induced Feelings Inventory (EFI). Following the online BBMIC 4 h/day for 3 days and the 6 week solo (20 min/day) and group practice (45 min weekly), repeat testing plus the Indicators of Psychophysiological State (IPSS) and Program Evaluation were obtained. RESULTS: Baseline (T1) mean PSS score was significantly elevated compared to a normative sample: PSS = 18.2 vs. 13.7 (p < 0.001) and improved significantly 11 weeks post-BBMIC (T4). SOS-S mean score declined from 10.7(T1) to 9.7 at 6 week post-test (T3). The SOS-S proportion of High Risk scores found in 22/29 participants (T1), dropped to 7/29 (T3). EFI mean subscale scores improved significantly from T1 to T2 and T3 for Revitalization (p < 0.001); Exhaustion (p < 0.002); and Tranquility (p < 0.001); but not Engagement (p < 0.289). CONCLUSION: Among RISE NI healthcare workers affected by COVID-related stress, participation in the BBMIC significantly reduced scores for Perceived Stress, Stress Overload, and Exhaustion. EFI Revitalization and Tranquility scores significantly improved. More than 60% of participants reported moderate to very strong improvements in 22 indicators of psychophysiological state, e.g., tension, mood, sleep, mental focus, anger, connectedness, awareness, hopefulness, and empathy. These results are consistent with the hypothesized mechanisms of action whereby voluntarily regulated breathing exercises change interoceptive messaging to brain regulatory networks that shift psychophysiological states of distress and defense to states of calmness and connection. These positive findings warrant validation in larger, controlled studies to extend the understanding of how breath-centered Mind-body Medicine practices could mitigate adverse effects of stress.
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spelling pubmed-102912942023-06-27 Breath-centered virtual mind-body medicine reduces COVID-related stress in women healthcare workers of the Regional Integrated Support for Education in Northern Ireland: a single group study Gerbarg, Patricia L. Dickson, Felicity Conte, Vincent A. Brown, Richard P. Front Psychiatry Psychiatry BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers endured prolonged stress affecting their psychological well-being. Objectives: (1) Evaluate the effects of the Breath-Body-Mind Introductory Course (BBMIC) on COVID-related stress among employees of the Regional Integrated Support for Education, Northern Ireland, (2) Reduce the risk of adverse effects from COVID-related stress, and (3) Evaluate the effects of BBMIC on indicators of psychophysiological states and the consistency with hypothesized mechanisms of action. METHODS: In this single group study, a convenience sample of 39 female healthcare workers completed informed consent and baseline measures: Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Stress Overload Scale-Short (SOS-S), and Exercise-Induced Feelings Inventory (EFI). Following the online BBMIC 4 h/day for 3 days and the 6 week solo (20 min/day) and group practice (45 min weekly), repeat testing plus the Indicators of Psychophysiological State (IPSS) and Program Evaluation were obtained. RESULTS: Baseline (T1) mean PSS score was significantly elevated compared to a normative sample: PSS = 18.2 vs. 13.7 (p < 0.001) and improved significantly 11 weeks post-BBMIC (T4). SOS-S mean score declined from 10.7(T1) to 9.7 at 6 week post-test (T3). The SOS-S proportion of High Risk scores found in 22/29 participants (T1), dropped to 7/29 (T3). EFI mean subscale scores improved significantly from T1 to T2 and T3 for Revitalization (p < 0.001); Exhaustion (p < 0.002); and Tranquility (p < 0.001); but not Engagement (p < 0.289). CONCLUSION: Among RISE NI healthcare workers affected by COVID-related stress, participation in the BBMIC significantly reduced scores for Perceived Stress, Stress Overload, and Exhaustion. EFI Revitalization and Tranquility scores significantly improved. More than 60% of participants reported moderate to very strong improvements in 22 indicators of psychophysiological state, e.g., tension, mood, sleep, mental focus, anger, connectedness, awareness, hopefulness, and empathy. These results are consistent with the hypothesized mechanisms of action whereby voluntarily regulated breathing exercises change interoceptive messaging to brain regulatory networks that shift psychophysiological states of distress and defense to states of calmness and connection. These positive findings warrant validation in larger, controlled studies to extend the understanding of how breath-centered Mind-body Medicine practices could mitigate adverse effects of stress. Frontiers Media S.A. 2023-06-12 /pmc/articles/PMC10291294/ /pubmed/37377478 http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1199819 Text en Copyright © 2023 Gerbarg, Dickson, Conte and Brown. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
spellingShingle Psychiatry
Gerbarg, Patricia L.
Dickson, Felicity
Conte, Vincent A.
Brown, Richard P.
Breath-centered virtual mind-body medicine reduces COVID-related stress in women healthcare workers of the Regional Integrated Support for Education in Northern Ireland: a single group study
title Breath-centered virtual mind-body medicine reduces COVID-related stress in women healthcare workers of the Regional Integrated Support for Education in Northern Ireland: a single group study
title_full Breath-centered virtual mind-body medicine reduces COVID-related stress in women healthcare workers of the Regional Integrated Support for Education in Northern Ireland: a single group study
title_fullStr Breath-centered virtual mind-body medicine reduces COVID-related stress in women healthcare workers of the Regional Integrated Support for Education in Northern Ireland: a single group study
title_full_unstemmed Breath-centered virtual mind-body medicine reduces COVID-related stress in women healthcare workers of the Regional Integrated Support for Education in Northern Ireland: a single group study
title_short Breath-centered virtual mind-body medicine reduces COVID-related stress in women healthcare workers of the Regional Integrated Support for Education in Northern Ireland: a single group study
title_sort breath-centered virtual mind-body medicine reduces covid-related stress in women healthcare workers of the regional integrated support for education in northern ireland: a single group study
topic Psychiatry
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10291294/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37377478
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1199819
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