Background: Anxiety and stress are common mental health conditions reported by university workers. Practices of mindfulness represent one promising approach as an effective and feasible means to reduce stress, improve mental health and promote well-being; however, there are no clinical trials that have combined long-term stress biomarkers (hair cortisol) and psychometric assessments in a sample of university workers. Objective: This study investigated the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based program on long-term stress, by measuring hair cortisol concentration and perceived stress and anxiety among workers who were undergoing high levels of stress. Method: We conducted a randomized clinical trial at work among the employees of a public university. We compared a group that received the eight-week mindfulness intervention with the wait list group who received no intervention. Results: A total of 30 participants were included in the study, with n = 15 subjects in the intervention group and n = 15 in the control group. Hair cortisol, perceived stress and anxiety significantly reduced after the intervention compared to the control group, which had no appreciable decline in the measured variables. Conclusion: This clinical trial showed the effectiveness of a mindfulness program on mental health psychometric measures (perceived stress and anxiety) and on a long-term stress biomarker (hair cortisol). It can be concluded that an eight-week mindfulness program could be implemented as an effective strategy to reduce stress biomarkers (hair cortisol) as well as perceived stress and anxiety, improving the mental health of university workers.

To investigate the relationship between early-life stress (ELS) and the trait mindfulness level in workers. This study is quantitative cross-sectional and correlational research with a sample of 929 workers from a Brazilian public university. ELS and mindfulness assessment was performed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire-BR (FFMQ-BR), respectively. The data were submitted to correlation tests adopting a significance level of .05 and a multivariate linear regression analysis. 50.0% of the participants obtained a score indicative of ELS exposure in at least one subtype among the five proposed by the CTQ, with emotional neglect predominating (63.0%). The group not exposed to emotional abuse had higher scores in the “describe—positive formulation” and “non-reactivity to inner experience” facets. Those that scored for physical abuse had higher values in “acting with awareness—autopilot”. However, the group exposed to sexual abuse obtained the highest score in the “acting with awareness—autopilot” and “acting with awareness—distraction” facets. The correlation between FFMQ-BR and CTQ overall scores showed a weak correlation with statistical significance. The multiple linear revealed that the facets of mindfulness were significantly associated by at least one type of early stress; however, no significant association was found between CTQ and FFMQ-BR overall results. The results showed that emotional regulation might have effectively occurred in this specific population, even with the presence of some childhood trauma.

Objetivo: avaliar a efetividade de uma intervenção para redução de estresse baseada em Mindfulness em aspectos relacionados à Qualidade de Vida, Atenção Plena e EstressePercebido, em estudantes de graduação e pós-graduação em enfermagem. Método: aplicados instrumentos de avaliação para a construção de uma linha basal e posteriormentea amostra foi submetida a um Programa de Redução de Estresse e aumento da Qualidade de Vida baseado em Mindfulness, formatado em encontros semanais por oito semanas. Resultados: após a intervenção, houve diminuição do nível de Estresse Percebido, aumento do nível de Atenção Plena e melhora da Qualidade de Vida em âmbito psicológico.Conclusão: intervenções baseadas em Mindfulness se mostram efetivas e podem constituir um importante recurso para o gerenciamento do estresse e melhora na Qualidade de Vida dos estudantes.

Objective: To describe the predictors of perceived stress in a broad sample of workers at a Brazilian public university. Method: Cross-sectional study carried out with a convenience sample of workers at a public university in Brazil. To be included in the present study, the worker had to be an administrative technician. From March to August, 2017, workers were surveyed, and 929 participants answered the questionnaires of sociodemographic characterization, work and health conditions, perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale), depression (Beck Depression Inventory), and anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory). Results: The multiple linear regression showed that higher perceived stress was associated with being younger and male, occupying a higher or technical position, and presenting higher levels of depression and anxiety. Conclusion: These findings have implications for occupational health nurses and other health professionals to identify workers at risk for chronic and mental illness through predictors of perceived stress and to guide institutions in planning practical actions for stress management interventions.

Objective: to identify the scientific evidence available in national and international literature on the relationships between nursing students’ mindfulness and emotional regulation. Methods: an integrative literature review, in four databases, with a time frame from January 2002 to December 2022. Articles in English, Spanish and Portuguese available in full were included. Results: the sample consisted of six original articles, predominantly with a quantitative approach, with cross-sectional designs standing out. Conclusion: the synthesis of scientific production revealed that there is a lack of research at national and international level on the subject with experimental and qualitative designs that enable conclusions about cause and effect and/or take into account subjective experiences of the applicability of mindfulness-based practice in nursing students’ emotional regulation.

Objetivo: Identificar os principais desafios enfrentados pelos profissionais de ensino superior atuantes na atenção básica no atendimento as urgências e emergências psiquiátricas. Metodologia: Estudo qualitativo de natureza descritivo exploratória. O estudo foi desenvolvido em duas Unidades Matriciais de Saúde de Minas Gerais. O período de coleta de dados foi de agosto a outubro de 2020, a partir de entrevistas realizadas com os profissionais. A análise dos dados foi realizada por meio do Software IraMuTeQ. Resultados: A partir da análise dos dados, originaram-se as seguintes classes: caracterização de urgência e emergência psiquiátrica na visão dos profissionais; cuidados prestados aos pacientes; desafios encontrados no atendimento; e continuidade dos cuidados aos pacientes após o primeiro atendimento. Foram identificados como obstáculos: lacunas no preparo profissional, na presença da família dos pacientes nos atendimentos, entre outros. Conclusão: Os desafios evidenciados nesse estudo percorrem trajetos desde o conhecimento insuficiente dos profissionais sobre a caracterização de urgência e emergência psiquiátricas, perpassando pela dificuldade no manejo e na efetividade dos cuidados ofertados, além da escassez do trabalho em equipe e o conhecimento deficiente sobre a Rede de Atenção Psicossocial. Frente a isso, os profissionais não se sentem capacitados para lidar com as situações de urgência e emergência psiquiátricas e percebem-se em um contexto desfavorável para uma assistência qualificada.