Effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions on burnout, resilience and sleep quality among nurses: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Background Due to the occupational characteristics of clinical work, nurses often face many challenges related to physical and psychological health. Mindfulness-based interventions are psychological therapies based on mindfulness that have been shown to improve burnout, resilience and sleep quality among nurses, but evidence remains insufficient. Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions in reducing burnout, and improving resilience and sleep quality among nurses to enhance the quality of nursing medical service. Methods Seven electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and CNKI) were searched from inception to November 2024 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating mindfulness-based interventions among nurses. Study quality was assessed using Cochrane RoB 2. Meta-analyses were conducted using Review Manager 5.4; certainty of evidence was appraised with GRADE. Results From 4622 records, 16 RCTs (n=1384) were included. Meta-analysis showed that mindfulness-based interventions improved burnout (SMD = -1.43, 95% CI -1.94 to -0.92, P<0.001), resilience (MD = 9.78, 95% CI 0.38 to 19.17, P=0.04), and sleep quality (SMD = -1.10, 95% CI -1.79 to -0.41, P=0.002). However, the overall quality of evidence was limited by moderate risk of bias and high heterogeneity. Conclusion Mindfulness-based interventions could improve burnout, resilience and sleep quality among nurses, providing preliminary clinical support for addressing mental health, well-being and work quality. Due to moderate-to-low certainty of evidence and concerns about bias, more rigorous trials are needed.

Jin Dou, Yujia Lian, Lili Lin, Siti Noraini Binti Asmuri, Peixi Wang, Ruthpackiavathy A/P Rajen Durai