A pilot project to explore the mental health and wellbeing among cardiothoracic staff and the impact of virtual reality guided mindfulness

Bhuvaneswari Krishnamoorthy; Shabnam M Sagar; Aman S Coonar; Sam Raaj; Akhash V Rathinam; Rick Air; Sarah Murray; Vanessa Heaslip; Heather Iles-Smith; Narain Moorjani; Sridhar Rathinam

doi:10.1186/s13019-024-03089-9

A pilot project to explore the mental health and wellbeing among cardiothoracic staff and the impact of virtual reality guided mindfulness

J Cardiothorac Surg. 2024 Oct 1;19(1):556. doi: 10.1186/s13019-024-03089-9.

Authors

Bhuvaneswari Krishnamoorthy^{1

2}, Shabnam M Sagar³, Aman S Coonar^{4

5}, Sam Raaj⁶, Akhash V Rathinam⁷, Rick Air⁴, Sarah Murray⁴, Vanessa Heaslip^{8

9}, Heather Iles-Smith⁸, Narain Moorjani^{4

5}, Sridhar Rathinam^{4

10}

Affiliations

¹ Directorate of Nursing and Midwifery, The University of Salford, Manchester, UK. b.bibleraaj@salford.ac.uk.
² Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Great Britain and Ireland, London, UK. b.bibleraaj@salford.ac.uk.
³ Directorate of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Essex, Southend-on-Sea, UK.
⁴ Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Great Britain and Ireland, London, UK.
⁵ Department of Cardiothoracic surgery, Royal Papworth Hospital, Cambridge, UK.
⁶ Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Medical School, London, UK.
⁷ Faculty of Medicine, King's College London, Medical School, London, UK.
⁸ Directorate of Nursing and Midwifery, The University of Salford, Manchester, UK.
⁹ Directorate of Social Science, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway.
¹⁰ Department of Thoracic surgery, Glenfield Hospital, University Hospitals of Leicester, Leicester, UK.

Abstract

Background: The Cardio-Thoracic (CT) professional group experienced a significant increase in stress and workload during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery (SCTS) in Great Britain and Ireland with the aim of endorsing positive change. Aim of this project was to understand the Mental Health (MH) and wellbeing status of the CT professionals and to explore Virtual Reality Mindfulness as an intervention to improve MH and wellbeing.

Methods: In February 2022, the SCTS created a Mental Health and Wellbeing Working Group to identify the problem and find solutions. This exploratory project was carried out in two stages. Stage one was an online survey conducted in March 2022 and stage two was a Virtual Reality (VR) mindfulness workshop in March 2023, using the Rescape™ VR mindfulness tool.

Results: Stage one: An online QR code survey was sent out to 150 members with 129 (86%) completed responses. 92% expressed that SCTS should create awareness about mental health and wellbeing. 99% said that they should be allowed to speak up and create interventions for members to access, support and relax. Three main themes identified about why CT staff do not discuss their Mental Health problems were fear of lack of awareness (72%), lack of confidentiality (60%) and impact on career (60%). Stage two: 88 members attended the VR session of which 76 (86%) completed the anonymous questionnaire. 97% reported usage was a pleasurable experience, 91% felt more relaxed, 82% felt less stressed, 90% felt calmer and 89% had their mood enhanced.

Conclusion: Our study findings indicate that CT staff experience considerable effects on their mental health and wellbeing. However, there is a hesitancy to recognise and seek assistance due to concerns about confidentiality and career repercussions. The virtual reality mindfulness session served as a beneficial supplement, with a positive impact in this pilot cohort.

Keywords: Anxiety; Cardiothoracic surgery; Mental health and wellbeing; Stress; Virtual reality.

MeSH terms

Adult
COVID-19* / epidemiology
COVID-19* / psychology
Female
Humans
Male
Mental Health*
Middle Aged
Mindfulness* / methods
Pilot Projects
SARS-CoV-2
Surveys and Questionnaires
Thoracic Surgery
United Kingdom
Virtual Reality*