City Research Online

Abstract

Mindfulness interventions have become a common feature of worksite stress management provision. However, the evidence underpinning these interventions continues to attract scrutiny, with unresolved questions surrounding: the generalisability of mindfulness research findings to real-world workplace training applications, comparability of different mindfulness approaches offered in workplace settings, and effects on job performance. The current trial contributes to the literature by exploring effects of mindfulness training (MT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), which were delivered to staff in the same healthcare organisation. Participants were randomly assigned to a 4-session MT program (n = 63), a 4-session ACT program (n = 67), or a waiting list control group (n = 69). Study measures were administered on five occasions spread across a 6-month period. Results indicated that both MT and ACT reduced perceived stress and improved mindfulness and sleep quality when compared to the control group. ACT showed slight superiority in helping employees align their behaviour with personal values. Neither MT nor ACT was effective in reducing work limitations. We consider explanations for equivocal effects on job performance outcomes, and highlight the importance of testing the effectiveness of worksite mindfulness interventions under ecologically valid conditions.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
Publisher Keywords:	Mindfulness interventions; mindfulness training; acceptance and commitment therapy; workplace; randomised controlled trial
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Departments:	School of Health & Psychological Sciences School of Health & Psychological Sciences > Psychology
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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