Mindfulness-based stress reduction for elementary school teachers: a randomized controlled trial
Frontiers in Education April 9, 2024 Johanna H. Lensen, Sabine E. M. J. Stoltz, Marloes Kleinjan et al.
A standard eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program substantially reduced perceived stress in Dutch elementary school teachers. In a randomized trial with 146 teachers, those who took MBSR reported significantly lower stress than a waitlist control group, with a large effect immediately after the program and a moderate effect three months later. The program also improved teachers' mindfulness skills, emotion regulation, self-compassion, self-efficacy, and classroom climate quality. No effect was found on pupil-teacher relationships. The COVID-19 pandemic did not influence the results. The findings support wider use of MBSR to improve teacher well-being.