Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the perceived effects of a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Program on stress and quality of life of women in midlife. A total of 20 nurses, aged 45 to 55 years, who participated in a stress reduction course were contacted for interviews. A total of 9 nurses agreed to be interviewed. Content analysis was used to analyze these interviews. The five themes that emerged from the analysis were as follows: strengthening of interpersonal communication through social support, increased personal awareness through becoming more mindful and reflective, a spiritual awakening, effective ways of dealing with stress, and living life in balance by taking hold of one's life. This study increased the authors' understanding of effects/benefits, adherence, and application of MBSR techniques for women in midlife. It is concluded that MBSR may be a useful intervention for nurses in midlife to develop successful strategies for dealing with stress and to improve their quality of life.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 265-278 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | Western journal of nursing research |
| Volume | 34 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Mar 2012 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support of the Women’s Heart Health Program of the Minneapolis Heart Institute® at Abbott Northwestern Hospital and the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation, and funding from the Helen Wells Fund from the University of Minnesota School of Nursing.
Copyright:
Copyright 2012 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
Keywords
- and qualitative study
- content analysis
- midlife women
- mindfulness
- quality of life
- stress reduction