Digital Meditation to Target Employee Stress: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate the effects of a digital meditation program on general and work-specific stress compared to a waiting list condition, and whether greater engagement in the intervention moderated these effects.
Results Summary
The study found that participants randomized to the digital meditation program showed significant improvements in perceived stress and secondary outcomes (e.g., job strain) at 8 weeks, with effects maintained at 4 months. Greater daily meditation time (5-9.9 minutes) was associated with greater stress reduction.
Population
Adults (aged ≥18 years) employed at a large academic medical center who reported mild to moderate stress, had regular web access, and were fluent in English (excluded regular meditators).
Effective Dosage
10 minutes of meditation per day.
Duration
8 weeks.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
digital meditation program | decrease | Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) score | adults employed at a large academic medical center who reported mild to moderate stress | Cohen d, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.73-0.96 | showed improvements | #1 |
digital meditation program | decrease | job strain | adults employed at a large academic medical center who reported mild to moderate stress | Cohen d, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.23-0.46 | showed improvements | #2 |
digital meditation program | decrease | Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) score | adults employed at a large academic medical center who reported mild to moderate stress | Cohen d, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.59-0.84 | maintained improvements | #3 |
digital meditation program | decrease | job strain | adults employed at a large academic medical center who reported mild to moderate stress | Cohen d, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.25-0.50 | maintained improvements | #4 |
digital meditation program | decrease | stress | those using the app from 5 to 9.9 min/d vs less than 5 min/d | mean PSS score difference, -6.58; 95% CI, -7.44 to -5.73 | showed greater reduction | #5 |
IMPORTANCE: Mindfulness meditation may improve well-being among employees; however, effects of digital meditation programs are poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of digital meditation vs a waiting list condition on general and work-specific stress and whether greater engagement in the intervention moderates these effects. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This randomized clinical trial included a volunteer sample of adults (aged ≥18 years) employed at a large academic medical center who reported mild to moderate stress, had regular access to a web-connected device, and were fluent in English. Exclusion criteria included being a regular meditator. Participants were recruited from May 16, 2018, through September 28, 2019, and completed baseline, 8-week, and 4-month measures assessing stress, job strain, burnout, work engagement, mindfulness, depression, and anxiety. Data were analyzed from March 2023 to October 2024. INTERVENTION: Participants were randomized 1:1 to a digital meditation program or the waiting list control condition. Participants in the intervention group were instructed to complete 10 minutes of meditation per day for 8 weeks. The control group was instructed to continue their normal activities and not add any meditation during the study period. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcome measure was change in Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) score at 8 weeks. Secondary outcome measures included changes in job strain, measured as work effort-reward imbalance. RESULTS: A total of 1458 participants (mean [SD] age, 35.54 [10.30] years; 1178 [80.80%] female) were included. Those randomized to meditation (n = 728) vs waiting list (n = 730) showed improvements in PSS (Cohen d, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.73-0.96) and in all secondary outcome measures (eg, job strain: Cohen d, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.23-0.46) at 8 weeks. These improvements were maintained at 4 months after randomization (PSS: Cohen d, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.59-0.84; job strain: Cohen d, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.25-0.50). Those using the app from 5 to 9.9 min/d vs less than 5 min/d showed greater reduction in stress (mean PSS score difference, -6.58; 95% CI, -7.44 to -5.73). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The findings suggest that a brief, digital mindfulness-based program is an easily accessible and scalable method for reducing perceptions of stress. Future work should seek to clarify mechanisms by which such interventions contribute to improvements in work-specific well-being. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03527303.