Absence of conflict of interest
Citation
Highlights
- The study's objective was to examine the impact of a brief mindfulness-based intervention on the health and wellness outcomes.
- This study was a randomized controlled trial assessing the effect of a mindfulness-based intervention on faculty stress and burnout. The author used survey data to conduct statistical tests and compare outcomes between the treatment and control groups.
- The study found that receipt of the mindfulness-based intervention significantly reduced stress and burnout.
- This study receives a moderate evidence rating. This means we are somewhat confident that the estimated effects are attributable to the brief mindfulness-based intervention, but other factors might also have contributed.
Intervention Examined
Brief Mindfulness-Based Intervention
Features of the Intervention
Mindfulness-based interventions have been shown to assist with stress management but are not part of traditional teacher education. Two doctoral candidates and an applied developmental psychologist developed and delivered the brief mindfulness-based intervention. It was available to faculty members of one academic magnet high school in South Carolina and delivered through four monthly 90-minute classroom sessions. Classes took place at the school immediately following the school day. Each session focused on an aspect of mindfulness, with the final session focusing on how teachers could incorporate the course’s content into their personal and professional lives. Participants were given a workbook with space for notes, journaling, and discussion questions to promote mindfulness-based activities between sessions. Classes consisted of traditional presentations about mindfulness, group discussions, and practice with mediation, progressive muscle relaxation, and other mindfulness-based activities.
Features of the Study
The study used a randomized control trial to examine the impact of a brief mindfulness-based intervention on faculty stress and burnout. Researchers recruited volunteers for the study from a faculty meeting at the participating school in advance of enrollment. A total of 24 faculty from one school (18 teachers, 4 guidance counselors, 1 principal, and 1 school psychologist) participated in the study. Interested participants provided baseline data and then were randomly assigned to the intervention group or the control group. The author assigned 12 faculty to the treatment condition (mindfulness-based intervention) and 12 faculty to the waitlist control group (could enter the mindfulness class after data collection). The majority of the study sample was female (95.8%) and White (91.7%), with an average age of 42.8. Half of participants reported previous receipt of mental health services. One participant did not meet attendance requirements for the study and was excluded from the analyses. The data source for the study was a survey completed before random assignment and after the intervention that measured stress, burnout, and well-being. The author used statistical tests to compare outcomes of the treatment and control group members.
Findings
Health and safety
- The study found that faculty who received the intervention experienced a significant reduction in self-reported stress and burnout scores relative to those in the waitlist control group.
Considerations for Interpreting the Findings
Although the study was a randomized controlled trial, it had high attrition. However, the author did account for preexisting differences between the groups before program participation, so the study is eligible for a moderate evidence rating. Also, the study sample was small with 23 participants in the analysis sample. The study findings might not be applicable to other populations because of the small, homogenous sample.
Causal Evidence Rating
The quality of causal evidence presented in this report is moderate because it was a randomized controlled trial with high attrition, but the authors ensured that the groups being compared were similar before the intervention. This means we are somewhat confident that the estimated effects are attributable to the brief mindfulness-based intervention, but other factors might also have contributed.