Publication:

Effect of the mindfulness-based program on stress, anxiety and physiological changes among nurse aid students attending the 9 months course of nurse aid training in Myanmar

Background Suffering under stress and anxiety was a big challenge for the majority of nurse aid students and it was requisite to pass the 9 months training without attrition to become a qualified nurse aid.

Methods From 1st week of February to 4th week of May, 2023, 104 nurse aid training students (51 participants in intervention group and 53 participants in control group) from 7 tertiary hospitals in the Yangon Region were conducted by a quasi-experimental study. Data collection was done by asking questionnaire for stress and anxiety, and by collecting blood samples to test serum cortisol level. Data was analysed by using SPSS 23 and independent t-test, one-way repeated measures ANOVA and multiple linear regression with propensity score adjustment were applied.

Results The mean changes (before- after- followed up) in the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and in the Generalized Disorder Scale (GAD) were significantly different between the intervention and control groups displaying a difference in difference mean change of 4.13 (2.41, 5.86) at p<0.001, 3.02 (95%CI: 1.05, 4.99) at p=0.003 and that of 2.45 (95% CI: 1.24, 3.66), p<0.001, 1.49 (95%CI: 0.16, 2.83) at p=029 respectively. Moreover, there was a significant decrease (before-after 8 week intervention) in the serum cortisol level between two groups showing a difference in difference mean change of 39.66 (95% CI:  4.97, 74.34), p=0.026.

Conclusions This study might observe as supportive evidence of the mindfulness-based program to manage stress and anxiety among nurse aid students.