Physiotherapists’ experiences with a four-week mindfulness-based stress reduction program

Abstract

Objective

The study sought to gather the perceptions and experiences of a group of physiotherapists who took part in mindfulness-based stress reduction program (MBSR).

Methods

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight physiotherapists who took part in a four-week formal and self-directed mindfulness meditation program. The data collected were analysed by implementing a thematic analysis.

Results

Themes were identified in relation to perceived health benefits (stress reduction and increased attentiveness), the perceived impact of the MBSR on their professional practice and the perceived difficulties in practicing mindfulness.

Conclusion

The data from this study offer qualitative evidence that mindfulness practise can become an important element in a physiotherapists’ stress reduction toolkit, by helping them deal with the challenges of their professional practise. The main difficulties encountered with the program were related to the feelings of sleepiness that MBSR induced in them in the beginning. The participants also reported that the long duration of the sessions was another obstacle, suggesting that a brief form of meditation would be preferable and more convenient.

Keywords:

• Mindfulness
• physiotherapists
• sport physiotherapists
• meditation
• qualitative

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the physiotherapists who participated in this study as well as in the previously published study in which they practised the MBSR program [10]. In addition, special thanks to Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Kurdistan Regional Government, Iraq. The authors extended their gratitude to School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Kent for supporting this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The authors thank the Human Capacity Development Program (HCDP), Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, according to ministerial order of HCDP-R1. No. 1063, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Iraq for funding this study.