A Workplace Mindfulness Intervention May Be Associated With Improved Psychological Well-Being and Productivity. A Preliminary Field Study in a Company Setting
Background: Mindfulness trainings are increasingly offered in workplace environments in order to improve health and productivity. Whilst promising, there is limited research on the effectiveness of mindfulness interventions in workplace settings.Objective: To examine the feasibility and effectivenes...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2018-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00195/full |
| _version_ | 1818543191170744320 |
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| author | Wendy Kersemaekers Silke Rupprecht Marc Wittmann Marc Wittmann Chris Tamdjidi Pia Falke Rogier Donders Anne Speckens Niko Kohls |
| author_facet | Wendy Kersemaekers Silke Rupprecht Marc Wittmann Marc Wittmann Chris Tamdjidi Pia Falke Rogier Donders Anne Speckens Niko Kohls |
| author_sort | Wendy Kersemaekers |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Mindfulness trainings are increasingly offered in workplace environments in order to improve health and productivity. Whilst promising, there is limited research on the effectiveness of mindfulness interventions in workplace settings.Objective: To examine the feasibility and effectiveness of a Workplace Mindfulness Training (WMT) in terms of burnout, psychological well-being, organizational and team climate, and performance.Methods: This is a preliminary field study in four companies. Self-report questionnaires were administered up to a month before, at start of, and right at the end of the WMT, resulting in a pre-intervention and an intervention period. There was no separate control group. A total of 425 participants completed the surveys on the different time points. Linear mixed model analyses were used to analyze the data.Results: When comparing the intervention period with the pre-intervention period, significantly greater improvements were found in measures of burnout (mean difference = 0.3, p < 0.001), perceived stress (mean difference = -0.2, p < 0.001), mindfulness [mean difference = 1.0 for the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI) and 0.8 for the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), both p < 0.001], and well-being (mean difference = 0.4, p < 0.001). Additionally, greater increases in team climate, organizational climate and personal performance were reported during the intervention compared to the pre-intervention period with largest improvements in team cooperation (mean difference = 0.3, p < 0.001), productivity (mean difference = 0.5, p < 0.001), and stress (mean difference = -0.4, p < 0.001). Effect sizes were large for mindfulness (d > 0.8), moderate for well-being, burnout and perceived stress (d = 0.5–0.8), and ranged from low to moderate for organizational and team climate and personal performance (d = 0.2–0.8).Conclusion: These preliminary data suggest that compared to the pre-intervention period, the intervention period was associated with greater reductions in burnout and perceived stress, improvements in mindfulness, well-being, and increases in team and organizational climate and personal performance. Due to design limitations, no conclusions can be drawn on the extent to which the WMT or non-specific factors such as time have contributed to the findings. Further studies, preferably using randomized controlled designs with longer follow up periods are needed to evaluate whether the associations found can be attributed to the WMT and whether these sustain after the training. |
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8a15e25b91ec4fa3b0862a044310cc2b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T22:32:06Z |
| publishDate | 2018-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| spelling | doaj.art-8a15e25b91ec4fa3b0862a044310cc2b2022-12-22T00:48:05ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782018-02-01910.3389/fpsyg.2018.00195265830A Workplace Mindfulness Intervention May Be Associated With Improved Psychological Well-Being and Productivity. A Preliminary Field Study in a Company SettingWendy Kersemaekers0Silke Rupprecht1Marc Wittmann2Marc Wittmann3Chris Tamdjidi4Pia Falke5Rogier Donders6Anne Speckens7Niko Kohls8Radboudumc Center for Mindfulness, Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, NetherlandsRadboudumc Center for Mindfulness, Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, NetherlandsInstitute for Frontier Areas of Psychology and Mental Health, Freiburg, GermanyInstitute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, GermanyKalapa Leadership Academy, Cologne, GermanyKalapa Leadership Academy, Cologne, GermanyDepartment for Health Evidence, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, NetherlandsRadboudumc Center for Mindfulness, Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, NetherlandsDivision of Integrative Health Promotion, University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Coburg, GermanyBackground: Mindfulness trainings are increasingly offered in workplace environments in order to improve health and productivity. Whilst promising, there is limited research on the effectiveness of mindfulness interventions in workplace settings.Objective: To examine the feasibility and effectiveness of a Workplace Mindfulness Training (WMT) in terms of burnout, psychological well-being, organizational and team climate, and performance.Methods: This is a preliminary field study in four companies. Self-report questionnaires were administered up to a month before, at start of, and right at the end of the WMT, resulting in a pre-intervention and an intervention period. There was no separate control group. A total of 425 participants completed the surveys on the different time points. Linear mixed model analyses were used to analyze the data.Results: When comparing the intervention period with the pre-intervention period, significantly greater improvements were found in measures of burnout (mean difference = 0.3, p < 0.001), perceived stress (mean difference = -0.2, p < 0.001), mindfulness [mean difference = 1.0 for the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI) and 0.8 for the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), both p < 0.001], and well-being (mean difference = 0.4, p < 0.001). Additionally, greater increases in team climate, organizational climate and personal performance were reported during the intervention compared to the pre-intervention period with largest improvements in team cooperation (mean difference = 0.3, p < 0.001), productivity (mean difference = 0.5, p < 0.001), and stress (mean difference = -0.4, p < 0.001). Effect sizes were large for mindfulness (d > 0.8), moderate for well-being, burnout and perceived stress (d = 0.5–0.8), and ranged from low to moderate for organizational and team climate and personal performance (d = 0.2–0.8).Conclusion: These preliminary data suggest that compared to the pre-intervention period, the intervention period was associated with greater reductions in burnout and perceived stress, improvements in mindfulness, well-being, and increases in team and organizational climate and personal performance. Due to design limitations, no conclusions can be drawn on the extent to which the WMT or non-specific factors such as time have contributed to the findings. Further studies, preferably using randomized controlled designs with longer follow up periods are needed to evaluate whether the associations found can be attributed to the WMT and whether these sustain after the training.http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00195/fullmindfulnessworkplaceinterventionmeditationstress reductionburnout |
| spellingShingle | Wendy Kersemaekers Silke Rupprecht Marc Wittmann Marc Wittmann Chris Tamdjidi Pia Falke Rogier Donders Anne Speckens Niko Kohls A Workplace Mindfulness Intervention May Be Associated With Improved Psychological Well-Being and Productivity. A Preliminary Field Study in a Company Setting Frontiers in Psychology mindfulness workplace intervention meditation stress reduction burnout |
| title | A Workplace Mindfulness Intervention May Be Associated With Improved Psychological Well-Being and Productivity. A Preliminary Field Study in a Company Setting |
| title_full | A Workplace Mindfulness Intervention May Be Associated With Improved Psychological Well-Being and Productivity. A Preliminary Field Study in a Company Setting |
| title_fullStr | A Workplace Mindfulness Intervention May Be Associated With Improved Psychological Well-Being and Productivity. A Preliminary Field Study in a Company Setting |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Workplace Mindfulness Intervention May Be Associated With Improved Psychological Well-Being and Productivity. A Preliminary Field Study in a Company Setting |
| title_short | A Workplace Mindfulness Intervention May Be Associated With Improved Psychological Well-Being and Productivity. A Preliminary Field Study in a Company Setting |
| title_sort | workplace mindfulness intervention may be associated with improved psychological well being and productivity a preliminary field study in a company setting |
| topic | mindfulness workplace intervention meditation stress reduction burnout |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00195/full |
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