Effectiveness of a one-year teacher training program in delivering school-based mindfulness on schoolteachers' mental health: A nationwide cluster-randomized trial.
Hanne Landgrebe Axelsen, Anna Glavind Müller, Lone Overby Fjorback, Katinka Goetzsche, Heidi Berg Nielsen, Lise Juul
Social Science & Medicine November 19, 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118814 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cluster-randomized trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 191 |
| Population | Schoolteachers in Denmark |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based teacher training program |
| Duration | 12-month follow-up |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Mindfulness intervention Teacher mental health Research trial |
| Key findings | The mindfulness-based teacher training program yielded a small but statistically significant reduction in perceived stress but no significant effect on resilience. |
Abstract
The nationwide Stress-free Everyday Life for Children and Adolescents Research (SELFCARE) project, conducted from 2019 to 2020 in Denmark included a structured, three-part mindfulness-based teacher training program implemented over one year. The current study aimed to evaluate the teacher program's effectiveness on teachers' self-reported mental health 12 months post-baseline. In this cluster-randomized trial, 110 schools were randomized 1:1 into either an intervention group of 54 schools and 97 teachers (mean age 46.2 years (SD 8.7), 10 males (10.3 %)) or a wait-list control group of 56 schools and 94 teachers (mean age 44.2 (SD 8.1), 6 males (6.4 %)). Mental health outcomes were assessed using three validated self-report measures, with the Perceived Stress Scale as the primary outcome. Nine additional self-report measures evaluated mental health skills, with the Brief Resilience Scale as the primary measure. Intention-to-treat analyses were performed using mixed-effects linear regression models and bootstrapping as well as sensitivity analyses. Follow-up data were collected from 57 teachers (mean age 48.1 (SD 7.9), 6 males (10.5 %)) in the intervention group and 65 teachers (mean age 44.7 (SD 7.8), 5 males (7.7 %)) in the control group. The intervention yielded a small but statistically significant reduction in perceived stress (Cohen's d = -0.38; 95 % CI: -0.75 to -0.01), while no significant effect was observed for resilience (Cohen's d = 0.12; 95 % CI: 0.12 to 0.34). Overall, the findings suggest that a mindfulness-based teacher training program could be an effective way of promoting mental health among self-selected schoolteachers, particularly with regard to reducing perceived stress in the long term.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cites 12
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2012
- The Empirical Status of Mindfulness-Based Interventions: A Systematic Review of 44 Meta-Analyses of Randomized Controlled Trials Perspectives on Psychological Science February 16, 2021
- Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in a Self-Selecting and Self-Paying Community Setting Mindfulness December 18, 2017
- Deep rest: An integrative model of how contemplative practices combat stress and enhance the body's restorative capacity. Psychological Review December 25, 2023
and 7 more in the library