Can mindfulness mitigate the energy-depleting process and increase job resources to prevent burnout? A study on the mindfulness trait in the school context.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to test the mechanism linking teachers' mindfulness at work to occupational wellbeing, specifically examining its impact on burnout through workload stress appraisal and perceived meaningfulness of work.
Results Summary
The study found that teachers' mindfulness was negatively associated with workload stress appraisal and positively influenced work meaning, which mediated the relationship between mindfulness and burnout. Mindfulness also moderated the effect of workload stress appraisal on burnout.
Population
Primary, middle, and secondary school teachers (N = 605).
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
mindfulness trait | decrease | workload stress appraisal | primary, middle, and secondary school teachers | - | negatively associated with | #1 |
mindfulness trait | increase | work meaning | primary, middle, and secondary school teachers | - | positively influenced | #2 |
mindfulness trait | decrease | burnout | primary, middle, and secondary school teachers | - | mediating the relationship between mindfulness and | #3 |
mindfulness trait | decrease | burnout | primary, middle, and secondary school teachers | - | moderated the effect of workload stress appraisal on | #4 |
BACKGROUND: Past studies in the teaching context provided evidence of the role of mindfulness-based intervention in improving occupational wellbeing. This study aims to increase the extant knowledge by testing the mechanism that links teachers' mindfulness at work to occupational wellbeing. Rooted in the job demand-resource model, the mindfulness trait is conceptualized as a personal resource that has the ability to impact and interact with job demands and resources, specifically workload stress appraisal and perceived meaningfulness of work, in affecting teachers' burnout. METHODS: A sample of primary, middle, and secondary school teachers (N = 605) completed a questionnaire that aimed to assess teachers' mindfulness trait and the measures of the quality of occupational life in the school context. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to test the model fit indices; further analyses were performed to test the hypotheses about mediation and moderation effects. RESULTS: The CFA showed good model fit indices. Further analyses highlighted that teachers' mindfulness is negatively associated with workload stress appraisal and that positively influenced work meaning, in turn mediating the relationship between mindfulness and burnout. Finally, mindfulness moderated the effect of workload stress appraisal on burnout. CONCLUSIONS: Rooted in the job demand-resource model, this study emphasizes an underrepresented personal resource, that is, the mindfulness trait at work, and the links that favor its impact on burnout. Practical and future research implications are also discussed.