Abstract
The purpose of this systematic review is to analyze and summarize the current knowledge regarding the use of yoga to manage and prevent stress and burnout in healthcare workers. In February 2017, a literature search was conducted using the databases Medline (PubMed) and Scopus. Studies that addressed this topic were included. Eleven articles met the inclusion criteria. Seven studies were clinical trials that analyzed yoga interventions and evaluated effectiveness by gauging stress levels, sleep quality and quality of life. A study on Chinese nurses showed statistical improvement in stress levels following a six-month yoga program (χ2 = 16.449; p < 0.001). A population of medical students showed improvement in self-regulation values after an 11-week yoga program (from 3.49 to 3.58; p = 0.04) and in self-compassion values (from 2.88 to 3.25; p = 0.04). Four of the included articles were observational studies: They described the factors that cause stress in the work environment and highlighted that healthcare workers believe it is possible to benefit from improved physical, emotional and mental health related to yoga activity. According to the literature, yoga appears to be effective in the management of stress in healthcare workers, but it is necessary to implement methodologically relevant studies to attribute significance to such evidence.
Highlights
Healthcare professionals daily face heavy stress loads
Medical students and healthcare professionals must cope with heavy workloads and high stress levels in a competitive environment that facilitates the onset of burnout [1,2]
The authors used Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP-II); curiosity, acceptance and feasibility were evaluated with the Freiburg Mindfulness
Summary
Healthcare professionals daily face heavy stress loads. Even during training, medical students and healthcare professionals must cope with heavy workloads and high stress levels in a competitive environment that facilitates the onset of burnout [1,2].This pattern continues to be complex in the working environment where professionals must cope with a demanding job, the stress of shiftwork and various responsibilities derived from their chosen medical field [3].The term “burnout” is usually referred to helping professions. Most of the published literature regarding this topic focuses on the nursing category as it represents the most prominent group of healthcare providers and effectively combines the main health problems: Both psychological and physical stress [5,6,7]. Other professionals, such as surgeons and dentists have exhibited similar issues: These must be added to the numerous working hours they spend in stationary and incorrect posture from which musculoskeletal conditions such as back pain, neck or shoulder strain, headache and carpal tunnel syndrome derivate [8]
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