Mandala Coloring and Resilience in Midwives

Overview

Midwives working in delivery rooms are exposed to occupational and psychological stressors associated with high workloads, shift work, time pressure, obstetric emergencies, and traumatic perinatal events. These working conditions may adversely affect their psychological resilience and well-being. Mandala coloring is a simple, low-cost, art-based activity that may promote relaxation and psychological well-being; however, evidence regarding its effect on psychological resilience among midwives is limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of mandala coloring on psychological resilience among midwives working in delivery rooms. Secondary outcomes included depression, anxiety, stress, and psychological well-being. The study was conducted as a two-arm, pretest-posttest, matched cluster randomized controlled trial involving midwives working in the delivery rooms of eight hospitals. Hospitals were treated as clusters and matched into four pairs according to the number of midwives working in the delivery room and the annual number of births. Within each matched pair, one hospital was randomly assigned to the intervention group and the other to the control group. A total of 91 midwives participated in the study, with 45 midwives from four hospitals allocated to the intervention group and 46 midwives from four hospitals allocated to the control group. Midwives in the intervention group participated in a six-week mandala coloring program. They were asked to complete two mandala coloring sessions per week, for a total of 12 sessions, with each session lasting approximately 20-30 minutes. Participants in the control group continued their usual routines during the six-week study period. Psychological resilience was assessed as the primary outcome using the Resilience Scale for Adults. Depression, anxiety, and stress were assessed using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21, and psychological well-being was assessed using the Psychological Well-Being Scale. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and at the end of the six-week intervention period.

Midwives working in delivery rooms may be exposed to substantial occupational and psychological stressors due to high workloads, shift work, time pressure, obstetric emergencies, and exposure to traumatic perinatal events. These demands may adversely affect their psychological well-being and resilience. Psychological resilience is particularly important for midwives because it may support their ability to adapt to stressful working conditions while maintaining professional functioning and well-being. Art-based activities have been investigated as non-pharmacological approaches for reducing psychological distress and promoting well-being. Mandala coloring is a structured art-based activity involving the coloring of repetitive and geometric patterns. It is inexpensive, easy to implement, requires minimal resources, and can potentially be incorporated into workplace settings without extensive training. Previous studies have suggested that mandala-based interventions may have beneficial effects on outcomes such as stress, anxiety, psychological well-being, and coping in different populations. However, evidence regarding the effect of mandala coloring specifically on psychological resilience remains limited and inconsistent. Furthermore, there is limited evidence evaluating mandala coloring as a workplace-based intervention among midwives working in delivery rooms. This study was therefore designed to evaluate whether a six-week mandala coloring intervention could improve psychological resilience among midwives working in delivery rooms. The study also examined the effects of the intervention on depression, anxiety, stress, and psychological well-being as secondary outcomes. By evaluating a simple, low-cost, and easily applicable intervention within the clinical work environment, the study aimed to contribute evidence regarding strategies that may support the psychological well-being of midwives.