Mind-body therapies: an intervention to reduce work-related stress in veterinary academia

Studies investigating perceived stress and mindfulness awareness support mind-body therapy (MBT) effectiveness in reducing stress and anxiety and, thus, has potential to decrease work-related stress. A pre/postexperimental design involved 30 faculty and staff working at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Saint Kitts and Nevis, who experienced a two-day MBT intervention programme. An additional 16 faculty and staff not involved in MBT who went about their daily work schedules served as contemporary controls. Demographics, Perceived Stress Scale 10 (PSS-10), Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), 16 Personality Factor (16PF) Openness to Change subscale and saliva cortisol concentrations were analysed. Control participants reported significantly perceived less stress (PSS-10: M=13; sd=1.4) than intervention participants (M=20; sd=6.6) during pretest. However, at post-test the intervention group reported a significant decrease in perceived stress (M=11; sd=6.0). MAAS pretest results indicated the intervention group displayed a lower average score (M=54; sd=15.3) than control participants (M=68; sd=2.0). Post-MAAS intervention scores showed improvements in mindfulness (M=63; sd=15.3). Correlations between the 16PF Openness to Change subscale and MAAS were r=0.03 and r=-0.17 for the intervention and control groups, respectively. Mean concentrations of saliva cortisol indicated a larger and significant decline in cortisol for the intervention group both during day 1 (P=0.0001) and day 2 (P=0.0008). In conclusion, these preliminary results provide support that MBTs in veterinary academia can improve psychological and physiological aspects of personal wellbeing.