Self-care behaviours and psychological heath of university staff

Introduction Mindfulness involves being aware of both your thoughts and emotions as well as your surroundings. Regular practice of mindful self-care can enhance the overall well-being. For university staff, these practices can help counteract negative effects on mental health. Objectives Our study aims to evaluate the practice of mindful self-care and its impact on the psychological health of university staff. Methods We conducted a descriptive, analytical and cross-sectional survey among university staff. The survey was carried out during a one-day training session on mental health promotion using a self-administrated questionnaire. We collected socio-professional data. We assessed psychological health using the depression anxiety and stress scale (DASS 21) and self-care behaviours using Mindful Self-Care Scale (MSCS). Results Our study included 65 participants, 67.7% of whom were female. The average age was 53±6.8 years, and the average job tenure was 21.3±8 years. We found that 36.9% of participants experienced mild to moderate stress, 35.4% had mild to moderate depression, 7.7% had severe to extremely severe depression, and 23.1% had severe to extremely severe anxiety. The average mindful self-care score was 102.8±26.3. The means for specific aspects of mindful self-care were: mindful relaxation 12.6±4.5, physical care 19.9±5.6, self-compassion and purpose 20.7±7.6, supportive relationships 15.4±5.6, supportive structure 13.4±4.6, and mindful awareness 14.5±4.8. We found a negative correlation between anxiety and depression and mindful self-care (p = 0.02, r = -0.2). In female participants, stress was also negatively correlated with mindful self-care (p = 0.02, r = -0.3). Conclusions According to our findings, mindful self-care may be a potential strategy for anxiety, depression and stress management available to university staff. Given the considerably poor psychological health in the study population, we recommend to increase awareness of mindful self-care in university staff. Disclosure of Interest None Declared