AccScience Publishing / IJPS / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/ijps.4276
REVIEW

Effectiveness of cognitive interventions in mitigating mental fatigue among healthcare professionals in hospital settings: A systematic review

Sara Gonçalves1,2,3* Rita S. Matos1,4*
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1 Academic Clinical Center of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Portugal
2 Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Portugal
3 Centre for Animal Sciences and Veterinary Studies, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Portugal
4 Local Health Unit of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Portugal
Submitted: 18 July 2024 | Accepted: 12 September 2024 | Published: 14 October 2024
© 2024 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
Abstract

Mental fatigue poses a significant challenge to healthcare professionals in hospital settings, impairing cognitive performance, emotional well-being, and job satisfaction. This systematic review evaluates the effectiveness of cognitive interventions, including mindfulness programs, online psychological interventions, and telehealth cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), in mitigating mental fatigue among healthcare workers. A comprehensive literature search across PubMed, b-on, Web of Science, and Scopus identified six studies published between 2016 and 2023. These studies reported that cognitive interventions significantly reduced burnout and stress levels, with up to a 30% decrease in emotional exhaustion and improved coping mechanisms. In addition, participants demonstrated enhanced emotional well-being, reflected in increased mindfulness and life satisfaction scores of as much as 25%. Mindfulness-based programs and telehealth CBT were particularly effective in fostering resilience and improving overall cognitive function. However, the review also highlighted the need for future research to explore the long-term effects of these interventions, their cost-effectiveness, and innovative methods to improve accessibility and scalability, such as digital platforms. Integrating cognitive interventions into routine healthcare practice can enhance staff well-being, improve patient outcomes, and contribute to a more supportive work environment.

Keywords
Mental fatigue
Hospital
Healthcare professionals
Cognitive interventions
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
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International Journal of Population Studies, Electronic ISSN: 2424-8606 Print ISSN: 2424-8150, Published by AccScience Publishing