Effects of personality traits on mindful self-care practices of healthcare workers

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) placed healthcare professionals (HCPs) at a higher risk for stress-related conditions. Implementing a brief online mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) was hypothesised to transform the HCPs’ ability to cope with stress by enhancing their self-care. Aim This study aimed to explore the impact of an online MBI on HCPs’ self-care practices and determine if personality traits were a moderating variable. Setting An online MBI was implemented for HCPs working in South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. Methods A quantitative study design included a pre-assessment and post-assessment component, which allowed paired comparison and regression analysis to confer correlations. Data were collected via two validated instruments: the Mindful Self-Care scale-2018 and the Big Five Personality test. Results Forty-nine HCPs participated in the study. Significant improvements were found in all the major self-care subscales post-intervention (p < 0.05). No significant associations were found between the personality traits and self-care except for neuroticism, which appeared to be an essential moderating variable. Conclusion An online MBI significantly impacted health professionals’ ability to care for themselves, despite their personality styles. Contribution The impact of an online MBI on HCPs’ self-care during the most intense time of stress and with a cohort of people known to be the most vulnerable to stress, namely those with neuroticism to date, has not been commented on.