Virtual mindfulness-based wellness coaching to support mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: Thematic analysis of participants' experiences.

IF 2.8 2区心理学 Q1 PSYCHOLOGY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

American journal of community psychology Pub Date : 2026-09-21 DOI:10.1002/ajcp.70110

Slobodan Stojanovic, Meysam Pirbaglou, Carolyn Tyner, Erin Smith, Camrie Kerry, Paul Ritvo

{"title":"Virtual mindfulness-based wellness coaching to support mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: Thematic analysis of participants' experiences.","authors":"Slobodan Stojanovic, Meysam Pirbaglou, Carolyn Tyner, Erin Smith, Camrie Kerry, Paul Ritvo","doi":"10.1002/ajcp.70110","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The COVID-19 pandemic and associated disruptions adversely impacted physical and mental health. The shift to remote delivery of medical and psychological services provided opportunities to disseminate effective community interventions, unimpeded by needs for local in-person meetings. This study focuses on the responses of older adults to the virtual community Mindfulness-based Wellness Coaching (MBWC) intervention that was delivered by the YMCA of Greater Toronto. We focus on the thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews of 23 participants who were regular attendees. Themes identified pertain to participants perspectives on reasons for attendance, key intervention practices, and benefits. In relation to reasons for attendance, responses indicated the influence of (1) pandemic-related coping difficulties, and (2) prior experiences with meditation-based practices. Responses highlighted in key intervention practices were: (1) regular practice, (2) open and nonprescriptive guidance, and (3) group dialogue. Participants found the intervention effective in supporting mindful attitudes which manifested in increased: (1) interpersonal awareness, (2) intrapersonal awareness, and (3) effective coping. Given the consistent enrolment during the pandemic and participants' perspectives, virtual MBWC is a feasible and scalable mental health intervention.</p>","PeriodicalId":7576,"journal":{"name":"American journal of community psychology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8000,"publicationDate":"2026-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"American journal of community psychology","FirstCategoryId":"102","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.70110","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"PSYCHOLOGY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated disruptions adversely impacted physical and mental health. The shift to remote delivery of medical and psychological services provided opportunities to disseminate effective community interventions, unimpeded by needs for local in-person meetings. This study focuses on the responses of older adults to the virtual community Mindfulness-based Wellness Coaching (MBWC) intervention that was delivered by the YMCA of Greater Toronto. We focus on the thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews of 23 participants who were regular attendees. Themes identified pertain to participants perspectives on reasons for attendance, key intervention practices, and benefits. In relation to reasons for attendance, responses indicated the influence of (1) pandemic-related coping difficulties, and (2) prior experiences with meditation-based practices. Responses highlighted in key intervention practices were: (1) regular practice, (2) open and nonprescriptive guidance, and (3) group dialogue. Participants found the intervention effective in supporting mindful attitudes which manifested in increased: (1) interpersonal awareness, (2) intrapersonal awareness, and (3) effective coping. Given the consistent enrolment during the pandemic and participants' perspectives, virtual MBWC is a feasible and scalable mental health intervention.

查看原文本刊更多论文

在COVID-19大流行期间支持心理健康的基于正念的虚拟健康指导：对参与者经验的专题分析。

COVID-19大流行及其相关中断对身心健康产生了不利影响。向远程提供医疗和心理服务的转变为传播有效的社区干预措施提供了机会，不受当地面对面会议需求的阻碍。本研究的重点是老年人对虚拟社区正念健康指导（MBWC）干预的反应，该干预由大多伦多基督教青年会提供。我们重点对23名定期参加会议的参与者进行半结构化访谈，进行主题分析。确定的主题涉及参与者对出席原因，关键干预措施和益处的看法。关于出席的原因，答复表明：(1)与流行病有关的应对困难，以及(2)先前以冥想为基础的实践经验的影响。关键干预实践中强调的回应是：(1)常规实践，(2)公开和非规范性指导，(3)小组对话。参与者发现干预有效地支持正念态度，表现在：(1)人际意识，(2)个人意识，(3)有效的应对。鉴于大流行期间的持续入学率和参与者的观点，虚拟MBWC是一种可行且可扩展的精神卫生干预措施。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

American journal of community psychology Multiple-

CiteScore

6.30

自引率

9.70%

发文量

期刊介绍： The American Journal of Community Psychology publishes original quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research; theoretical papers; empirical reviews; reports of innovative community programs or policies; and first person accounts of stakeholders involved in research, programs, or policy. The journal encourages submissions of innovative multi-level research and interventions, and encourages international submissions. The journal also encourages the submission of manuscripts concerned with underrepresented populations and issues of human diversity. The American Journal of Community Psychology publishes research, theory, and descriptions of innovative interventions on a wide range of topics, including, but not limited to: individual, family, peer, and community mental health, physical health, and substance use; risk and protective factors for health and well being; educational, legal, and work environment processes, policies, and opportunities; social ecological approaches, including the interplay of individual family, peer, institutional, neighborhood, and community processes; social welfare, social justice, and human rights; social problems and social change; program, system, and policy evaluations; and, understanding people within their social, cultural, economic, geographic, and historical contexts.