Musculoskeletal Pain and Interest in Meditation and Yoga in Home Health Aides: Evidence From the Home Health Occupations Musculoskeletal Examinations (HHOME) Study.

Home healthcare aides (HHAs) are a growing U.S. workforce highly susceptible to workplace stressors and musculoskeletal pain. In the present study we: 1) examine the association of musculoskeletal pain to life satisfaction and emotional exhaustion; and 2) characterize interest in meditation and yoga in a sample of HHAs. A nonprobabilistic sample of HHAs employed at home healthcare agencies in Florida, Massachusetts, and Oregon (n = 285 total) completed a self-administered questionnaire with standard survey measures on musculoskeletal pain location, duration, and severity; life satisfaction; emotional exhaustion; and interest in meditation techniques and yoga. Among HHAs responding, 48.4% reported pain in the last 7 days and 46.6% reported pain in the last 3 months. Home healthcare aides who reported current pain and chronic pain had a significant (P < .05) decrease in satisfaction with life score and a significant increase in emotional exhaustion score. The majority of HHAs reported an interest in learning about the benefits (65.6%) and practice (66.4%) of meditation and a willingness to participate in a yoga class (59.2%) or stress management meeting (59.1%). The HHAs reported both acute and chronic musculoskeletal pain that was correlated with lower life satisfaction and greater emotional exhaustion. More efforts are needed to reduce the sources of injury and emotional exhaustion.

Yoga for Self-Care and Burnout Prevention Among Nurses.

The promotion of self-care and the prevention of burnout among nurses is a public health priority. Evidence supports the efficacy of yoga to improve physical and mental health outcomes, but few studies have examined the influence of yoga on nurse-specific outcomes. The purpose of this pilot-level randomized controlled trial was to examine the efficacy of yoga to improve self-care and reduce burnout among nurses. Compared with controls (n = 20), yoga participants (n = 20) reported significantly higher self-care as well as less emotional exhaustion and depersonalization upon completion of an 8-week yoga intervention. Although the control group demonstrated no change throughout the course of the study, the yoga group showed a significant improvement in scores from pre- to post-intervention for self-care (p < .001), mindfulness (p = .028), emotional exhaustion (p = .008), and depersonalization (p = .007) outcomes. Implications for practice are discussed.

[An art therapy project day to promote health for clients from burnout self-help groups--an exploratory study]. / Ein kunsttherapeutischer Projekttag zur Gesundheitsförderung bei Klienten aus Burnout-Selbsthilfegruppen--eine explorative Studie.

AIM: The present exploratory study dealt with the question whether a specialized concept of art therapy interventions could increase the current and habitual well-being for participants of burnout self-help groups. METHOD: Quantitative: pre-post: Current well-being: list of discomforts (Beschwerdenliste: B-L); current mood scale (Aktuelle Stimmungsskala: ASTS); Habitual well-being: quality of life (SF-36); qualitative: post: semi-structured interviews with open key questions; evaluation: structured content analysis of Mayring. RESULTS: Quantitative: significant increase of current and habitual well-being; qualitative: generation of 3 general and 8 specific art therapy work factors. CONCLUSION: Specialized resource-activating concepts of art therapy interventions can effectively complement existing programs for burnout prevention and health promotion.

At the sources of one's well-being: early rehabilitation for employees with symptoms of distress.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of a new multifaceted early rehabilitation program on employee well-being targeted on distressed employees in small-to-medium sized workplaces. METHODS: Fifty-two employees (92% women; age: 34 to 66 years) participated in five biweekly sessions with one follow-up day at 6 months. Rehabilitation professionals specially trained for the mindfulness method covered topics from health, nutrition, sleep, physical activity to stress management. Employees were divided by their well-being level at baseline into "healthy" and "symptomatic" groups. Main outcomes were job, mental, and physical well-being. RESULTS: Well-being among the symptomatic employees reached that of the healthy ones at baseline. Also, the healthy participants benefited from the program to a small degree. CONCLUSIONS: The preliminary findings of this new program are promising although more research is needed on its effects and cost-effectiveness.

Qigong and mindfulness-based mood recovery: exercise experiences from a single case.

Sara, the participant in this single case study, had to leave work due to burnout. She is now recovered and working, but still complains of disturbed moods and worries about getting burned out again. The aim of this study was to, by way of Qigong and mindfulness exercise, increase the participant's positive mood to a functional level and to increase exercise experiences by combining mindfulness and Qigong practice. The professional practice intervention was planned to last twelve weeks, combining mindfulness practice and three different Qigong exercise techniques. Exercise behavior was noted daily, stress-energy and wellness were followed up weekly, and mindfulness was followed up after four, nine and 12 weeks. Sara feels that her moods (more energy, wellness and joy, as well as less stress and worry) have stabilized at a high level (good to very good), and her mindfulness score also improved to a high level (4.2 on a six-point scale). Sara also states that she enjoys life more: accepts stressful situations as they are, is less worried about becoming burned out again, and is more open to life. Exercise professionals may use mindfulness practice and Qigong exercise when recovering moods, probably even better in preventing burnout syndromes.

Healing a vulnerable self: exploring return to work for women with mental health problems.

Mental health problems (MHPs) such as stress and depression are among the leading causes of work disability. In this article we explore how women with MHPs experience sickness absence and subsequent return to work. We conducted 16 semistructured interviews and employed constructivist grounded theory for the analysis. We found that whereas sickness absence constituted a major threat to positive self-images, the experience had potential as a personal growth experience: Although some women felt handicapped, others became stronger and more self-confident. The core of the experience was not the return to work but a process of healing a vulnerable self--the ability both to refocus attention from symptoms to other life goals and to maintain or reconstruct a positive self-image. Supportive health care and acknowledgment from others facilitated the healing process.

Effects of rehabilitation programmes for patients on long-term sick leave for burnout: a 3-year follow-up of the REST study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the long-term effects of two different rehabilitation programmes for patients on long-term sick leave for burnout. DESIGN: Three-year follow-up of a randomized controlled trial with two 1-year group programmes: (A) cognitively oriented behavioural rehabilitation in combination with Qigong; and (B) Qigong alone. PATIENTS: A total of 107 patients with burnout (78 women and 29 men), who all completed the 1-year rehabilitation programme per-protocol, were asked to participate in the follow-up. METHODS: At the 3-year follow-up, data on psychological measures, sick leave and use of medication were compared between the programmes. RESULTS: Patients in programme A reported being significantly more recovered from their burnout (p = 0.02), reported lower levels of burnout (p = 0.035), used more cognitive tools learned from the programme (p < 0.001), and had reduced their use of medication for depression (p = 0.002). No significant differences were found between the groups in terms of sick leave rates; both groups had improved. CONCLUSION: A multimodal rehabilitation including cognitively oriented behavioural rehabilitation and Qigong showed positive effects 3 years after the end of intervention. The results indicate that, for many burnout patients on sick-leave, it takes time to implement cognitive tools and to establish new behaviours.

The mindfulness-based stress reduction program (MBSR) reduces stress-related psychological distress in healthcare professionals

This semi-experimental study examines how Mindfulness facilitates a distress reduction in a group of health professionals. The sample comprises 29 professionals seeking stress reduction who undertook an 8 weeks psico-educative intervention, involving 28 hours of class, based on a program called Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction or MBSR. Results show a 35% reduction of distress, from percentile 75 to 45, combined with a 30% reduction in rumination and a 20% decrease in negative affect. These benefits lasted during the 3 months of the follow up period. The correlation analysis indicates that the decrease in distress is significantly related to the other two variables. These results confirm the effectiveness of MBSR to decrease distress and its applicability in training programs for health professionals (AU)

Este estudio cuasi-experimental examina si el Mindfulness o conciencia plena reduce el malestar psicológico asociado al estrés en profesionales de la salud. La muestra estaba compuesta por 29 profesionales interesados en reducir el estrés, que siguieron una intervención psicoeducativa de 8 semanas, empleando un total de 28 horas lectivas y denominada Reducción de estrés basada en Mindfulness (Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction o MBSR). Los resultados muestran una disminución del malestar del 35%, descendiendo del percentil 75 al 45, así como reducciones del 30% en rumiación y del 20% en afectividad negativa. Estas mejoras se mantienen durante el periodo de seguimiento de 3 meses posteriores a la intervención. Las correlaciones encontradas indican que la reducción en malestar psicológico conlleva una disminución de la rumiación y de la afectividad negativa. Estos resultados confirman la utilidad de la técnica MBSR para reducir el malestar psicológico en programas de formación para profesionales de la salud (AU)

Association of spa therapy with improvement of psychological symptoms of occupational burnout: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to investigate effects of a 3-week resort-based spa therapy (a combination of balneotherapy, massages, exercise etc., including a respite from work) on psychological symptoms associated with occupational burnout. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In a longitudinal design, a group of 65 actively working individuals (45 women, 20 men, mean age 50.4 +/- 6.7 years) of various occupations selected on the basis of their level of burnout and undergoing spa therapy primarily for musculoskeletal pain were studied in regard to the change in fatigue, distress, reduced motivation, and quality of sleep. Variables were assessed at the beginning and at the end of spa therapy as well as 4 weeks and 3 months after treatment. Two levels of burnout were distinguished: individuals with mild burnout (i.e. increased emotional exhaustion) and individuals with a full burnout syndrome (i.e. increased exhaustion plus social detachment and/or performance dissatisfaction). RESULTS: At the end of the treatment, all four symptoms of burnout showed a significant improvement in both groups compared to their pre-treatment level. This improvement was sustained up to 3 months post-treatment for both burnout groups. CONCLUSION: Spa therapy may be a helpful measure for treating the symptoms of occupational burnout.

Take charge: Patients' experiences during participation in a rehabilitation programme for burnout.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of patients with burnout during a rehabilitation programme. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eighteen patients with burnout were interviewed at the end of a one-year rehabilitation programme. The programme consisted of 2 groups, one with a focus on cognitively-oriented behavioural rehabilitation and Qigong and 1 with a focus on Qigong alone. The interviews were analysed using the grounded theory method. RESULTS: One core category, Take Charge, and 6 categories emerged. The core category represents a beneficial recovery process that helped the patients to take control of their lives. The common starting point for the process is presented in the 3 categories of Good encounters, Affirmation and Group cohesiveness. The categories were basic conditions for continuing development during rehabilitation. In the categories Get to know myself, How can I be the one I want to be? and Choice of track, the more group-specific tools are included, through which the patients adopted a new way of behaving. CONCLUSION: Patients in both groups experienced group participation as being beneficial for recovery and regaining control of their lives, although in somewhat different way. An experience of affirmation and support from health professionals and group participants is of importance for beha-vioural change.

Effects of Qigong in patients with burnout: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of Qigong in rehabilitation for patients with burnout. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized controlled trial. SUBJECTS: Eighty-two patients (68 women and 14 men, mean age 44.3 (standard deviation 9.1) years) diagnosed with burnout. METHODS: Basic care was offered to both the intervention and the control group. Patients in the intervention group received basic care and, in addition, performed Qigong twice a week for 12 weeks. Psychological variables, health-related quality of life, perceived relaxation and physical measurements were assessed at baseline and after the intervention period. RESULTS: No significant difference in treatment efficacy between the groups was found by either intention-to-treat or per-protocol analyses. Both groups improved significantly over time, with reduced levels of burnout, fatigue, anxiety and depression, and increased dynamic balance and physical capacity. CONCLUSION: In this study, a Qigong intervention twice a week for 12 weeks had no additional effect beyond basic care for patients with burnout.

Cognitively oriented behavioral rehabilitation in combination with Qigong for patients on long-term sick leave because of burnout: REST--a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Despite an increase in the occurrence of burnout, there is no agreement on what kind of rehabilitation these patients should be offered. PURPOSE: Primary aim of this study was to evaluate effects on psychological variables and sick leave rates by two different group rehabilitation programs for patients on long-term sick leave because of burnout. Rehabilitation program A (Cognitively oriented Behavioral Rehabilitation (CBR) and Qigong) was compared with rehabilitation program B (Qigong only). METHOD: In a randomized clinical trial, 96 women and 40 men with a mean age of 41.6 +/- 7.4 years were allocated to one of the two rehabilitation programs. RESULTS: A per-protocol analysis showed no significant difference in treatment efficacy between the groups. Both groups improved significantly over time with reduced levels of burnout, self-rated stress behavior, fatigue, depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and sick leave rates. In an intention-to-treat analysis, patients in program A had fewer obsessive-compulsive symptoms and larger effect sizes in self-rated stress behavior and obsessive-compulsive symptoms compared to patients in program B. CONCLUSION: This study showed no differences in effect between CBR and Qigong compared with Qigong only in a per-protocol analysis. Both rehabilitation programs showed positive effect for patients with burnout.

Soul survivor.

Burnout is a common phenomenon in nursing because of nursing's giving nature. But Dina Glouberman believes it can be a positive life event.