Workplace mindfulness programmes may lower stress and burnout and may help work performance

The review

1. 01

   Who took part

   3,090 people took part in 35 trials, and about three in four were women with an average age of about 39. More than half of the trials were in North America.

2. 02

   What they did

   Each trial tested a mindfulness programme for workers, and the programmes varied in format and length. Most trials compared it with a waiting group rather than another treatment.

3. 03

   What happened

   Stress, anxiety, distress and burnout went down more than in the other groups. Job performance, mindfulness, health and wellbeing went up more, but depression and emotional regulation showed no clear difference. The paper's stress numbers don't match, and some positive results may be too large.

What the review found

1. HelpedOther outcomes

   Across 23 trials, mindfulness programmes for workers cut stress more than the waiting group did.

   • Action: Practise mindfulnesstested

   Pooled analysis of 23 studies · vs people who were still waiting for the course · ⚠ the studies disagreed a lot; whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited

2. HelpedOther outcomes

   Across 14 trials, mindfulness programmes for workers cut burnout more than the waiting group did.

   • Action: Practise mindfulnesstested

   Pooled analysis of 14 studies · vs people who were still waiting for the course · they rated themselves · ⚠ whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited

3. HelpedGoals

   Across nine trials, mindfulness programmes for workers raised job performance more than the waiting group did.

   • Action: Practise mindfulnesstested

   Pooled analysis of 9 studies · vs people who were still waiting for the course · ⚠ signs that small negative studies went unpublished; the studies disagreed a lot; whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited

4. HelpedFocus

   Across 20 trials, mindfulness programmes raised mindfulness scores more than the waiting group did.

   • Action: Practise mindfulnesstested

   Pooled analysis of 20 studies · vs people who were still waiting for the course · ⚠ signs that small negative studies went unpublished; the studies disagreed a lot; whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited

Source