Acceptability and effectiveness of a mindfulness-based intervention for reducing stress and burnout among mental health professionals: A mixed-methods pilot study conducted in Cuba

The adaptation and validation of mindfulness-based interventions to new cultural contexts is a growing body of research. The present study investigated the acceptability and effectiveness of a culturally-adapted mindfulness-based intervention in Cuba for mental health professionals. The participants ( N = 30) were Cuban psychologists who took part in a 10-week training. A mixed method approach was adopted, involving both quantitative data (stress and burnout measures) and qualitative data (semi-structured interviews). Stress was significantly reduced from baseline to posttest ( W = −3.98, p < .001, Cohen’s d = 1.08) and from baseline to follow-up ( W = −3.53, p < .001, Cohen’s d = 0.95). For burnout, 37.5% of participants reduced levels from baseline to posttest/follow-up, although statistical significance was not reached. The intervention was experienced as beneficial, in both personal and professional contexts, with most positive experiences. The results suggest that mindfulness-based intervention can be successfully implemented in Cuban context, given that it is acceptable and effective for Cuban mental health professionals. Similar improvements and difficulties reported in previous studies in other cultures were indicated. Possible adaptations are described to ensure a better adjustment to this new cultural context. Further large-scale evaluation is required for experimental confirmation. This study is the preliminary pilot of a clinical trial enrolled at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03296254, 09/18/2017).