Date on Paper

7-2024

Document Type

Doctoral Paper

Degree Name

D.N.P.

Department

Nursing

Committee Chair

Adelstein, Katherine

Committee Member

Williams, Kennetha

Author's Keywords

mental health; guided meditation; stress; mindfulness

Abstract

Abstract

Background: Chronic exposure to psychological stress places mental health providers in a vulnerable position when coping skills are not learned or available. Mental health providers are at risk for both mental and physical illness due to the empathetic demands of their client’s stressors. The deficit in adequate coping skills can cause provider-client relationships to suffer and create an undesirable work environment.

Setting: This project took place in Somerset, KY, at a mental health company called A New Beginnings Achievement Center (ANBAC). Twenty-six employees work at ANBAC, all of whom are involved in providing mental health services to developmentally delayed community members.

Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement project is to reduce stress levels and increase mindfulness of ANBAC staff using guided meditation.

Procedures: Four guided meditation sessions entailing a 15-minute guided meditation recording were conducted on-site at ANBAC. One session took place each week for four weeks. All ANBAC employees were invited to participate. ANBAC staff were encouraged to use the 15-minute guided meditation link provided at home outside of the four scheduled sessions.

Measures: Outcomes measured in this project before the first session and after the fourth session are stress and mindfulness, measured by the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14) (Cohen et al., 1983) and the Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale (MAAS) (Brown & Ryan, 2003). Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and blood pressure were measured before and after all four sessions.

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