The Potential for Mindfulness-Based Intervention in Workplace Mental Health Promotion: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) on mental illness risks (psychological distress, prolonged fatigue, perceived stress) and job strain (job control, job demands) for employees with poor mental health.
Results Summary
MBI significantly reduced psychological distress, prolonged fatigue, and perceived stress at completion, with sustained effects post-intervention. However, it showed limited impact on job strain, with no significant long-term improvements in job control or demands.
Population
Employees with poor mental health
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
8 weeks
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) | decrease | psychological distress | employees with poor mental health | - | significantly lower | #1 |
mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) | decrease | prolonged fatigue | employees with poor mental health | - | significantly lower | #2 |
mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) | decrease | perceived stress | employees with poor mental health | - | significantly lower | #3 |
mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) | decrease | prolonged fatigue | employees with poor mental health | - | steeper decrease | #4 |
mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) | decrease | perceived stress | employees with poor mental health | - | steeper decrease | #5 |
mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) | decrease | job demands | employees with poor mental health | - | significant decline | #6 |
mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) | no change | job control | employees with poor mental health | - | did not show promising findings | #7 |
mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) | no change | job demands | employees with poor mental health | - | did not show promising findings | #8 |
OBJECTIVES: This study aims to intensively evaluate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) on mental illness risks (including psychological distress, prolonged fatigue, and perceived stress) and job strain (job control and job demands) for employees with poor mental health. METHODS: A longitudinal research design was adopted. In total, 144 participants were randomized to the intervention group or the control group. The intervention group participated in MBI for eight weeks. Measurements were collected for both groups at five time points: at pre-intervention (T1), at mid-intervention (T2), at the completion of intervention (T3), four weeks after intervention (T4), and eight weeks after intervention (T5). Data were analyzed according to the intention-to-treat principle. A linear mixed model with two levels was employed to analyze the repeated measurement data. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the intercepts (means at T3) for the intervention group were significantly lower on psychological distress, prolonged fatigue, and perceived stress when MBI was completed. Even with the demographic variables controlled, the positive effects remained. For growth rates of prolonged fatigue and perceived stress, participants in the intervention group showed a steeper decrease than did the participants in the control group. Regarding job strain, although the intercept (mean at T3) of job demands showed a significant decline when BMI was completed, the significance disappeared when the demographic variables were controlled. Moreover, the other results for job control and job demands did not show promising findings. CONCLUSION: As a workplace health promotion program, the MBI seems to have potential in improving mental illness risks for employees with poor mental health. However, there was insufficient evidence to support its effect on mitigating job strain. Further research on maintaining the positive effects on mental health for the long term and on developing innovative MBI to suit job strain are recommended. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02241070.