Abstract
BackgroundMindfulness-based practice has gained increasing attention in the mental health community over the last four decades, and many studies have explored the evidence of its various benefits among healthcare users and providers alike. However, there remains limited research regarding the understanding of mindfulness among mental healthcare professionals. This poses the question: how much do mental healthcare professionals really know about mindfulness, and can self-practice increase the understanding of these providers?AimThis descriptive or exploratory case study aimed to explore the understanding of mindfulness amongst 15 mental healthcare professionals.SettingThe study took place at Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital.MethodThe study was conducted following a 6-week training course in which the participants were taught, and carried out mindfulness-based practices and techniques. The study also explored the following: (1) the healthcare workers’ experiences, benefits and challenges regarding the consistent practice of mindfulness and (2) their confidence when explaining the concept of mindfulness, and the practices learned, to other colleagues and patients. Data were collected in the form of semi-structured interviews with the participants, 4–6 weeks after completion of the training course.ResultsThree main themes were identified: (1) understanding of mindfulness expanded with practice; (2) unexpected experiences during the mindfulness course; and (3) experience caused partial gains in confidence and skills. Overall, 15 subthemes were derived from the data collected.ConclusionSelf-practice of mindfulness can increase one’s understanding of the concept and the confidence to teach informal techniques. More research is needed to determine how the design and duration of such training could impact this understanding and confidence.
Highlights
Mindfulness is a practice that has been a part of the Buddhist faith for centuries, and it has become a popular topic of research amongst Western mental healthcare within the last 30–40 years
The mindfulness training course completed by various staff members at Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital (WKH) began the course with 16 participants from various healthcare roles
The concept of mindfulness, and mindfulness-based practice, holds many benefits for various members of the medical and mental healthcare community. It may be beneficial for medical professionals to understand the basic foundations of mindfulness and develop some competencies in its application to daily living
Summary
Mindfulness is a practice that has been a part of the Buddhist faith for centuries, and it has become a popular topic of research amongst Western mental healthcare within the last 30–40 years. The effects of mindfulness-based practices upon users have been explored over the last 40 years in the context of various illnesses and conditions and have shown promising benefits for people with mental healthcare disorders and for people with a number of physical ailments and conditions, such as fibromyalgia, sleep disturbances and chronic pain.[2,3] Amongst the various benefits and outcomes that have been described in studies on mindfulness practice, positive impacts have been noted upon participants’ empathy, self-compassion, esteem and self-regard, emotional regulation, attention, stress perception, internal and external awareness, and coping skills within pressured environments.[2,4,5] Prosocial behaviours were noted to improve with various forms of mindfulness-based practice, such as improved awareness of and attentiveness to others’ needs and feelings. Mindfulness-based practice has gained increasing attention in the mental health community over the last four decades, and many studies have explored the evidence of its various benefits among healthcare users and providers alike. This poses the question: how much do mental healthcare professionals really know about mindfulness, and can self-practice increase the understanding of these providers?
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Schedule a callMore From: The South African journal of psychiatry : SAJP : the journal of the Society of Psychiatrists of South Africa
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