Reducing Emotion Dysregulation Through a Mindfulness Intervention: The Moderating Role of Occupational Stress for Early Childhood Educators
Emily J. Starr, Holly Hatton, Caron A. C. Clark, Gilbert R. Parra, Pearl Avari, Rebecca L. Brock
Mindfulness September 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-025-02644-2 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Preregistered Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 157 |
| Population | Early care and education teachers |
| Duration | 8-week intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Early childhood education Early childhood educator Emotion dysregulation Occupational stress Mindfulness-based intervention Teacher professional development Moderation Intervention evaluation Individual differences |
| Registration | NCT04815252 |
| Key findings | Teachers with the highest baseline job stress showed the largest reductions in emotion dysregulation after the CHIME intervention compared to controls. |
Abstract
Objectives: Teacher attrition in the early care and education (ECE) workforce remains a concern for policymakers globally. In the USA, ECE teachers frequently cite job stress, lack of support, and emotional exhaustion as reasons for leaving the field. As such, identifying helpful and relevant ways to support ECE teachers’ well-being is critical. Mindfulness-based interventions have emerged as promising approaches for increasing emotional well-being and reducing stress and burnout in education settings. It is unknown, however, whether responsiveness to these types of interventions may differ based on teachers’ baseline characteristics, such as their perceived job-related stress. This study aimed to investigate moderators of intervention responsiveness by examining whether the impact of an 8-week compassion-based social-emotional learning mindfulness intervention (Cultivating Healthy and Intentional Mindful Educators (CHIME)) on emotion dysregulation varied for ECE teachers with differing levels of job stress at baseline.
Method: Teachers were assigned to either an intervention ( n = 108) or wait-list control group ( n = 49) and completed online surveys before and after the 8-week period.
Results: Analyses revealed a significant interaction between intervention assignment and childcare worker job stress as predictors of change in emotion dysregulation from pre- to post-intervention ( β = − 0.44, p = 0.003). Specifically, teachers reporting the highest levels of job stress at baseline demonstrated the largest intervention effects on emotion dysregulation.
Conclusions: Assessing individuals’ baseline and contextual characteristics, such as childcare worker job stress, may inform the implementation of mindfulness-based interventions aiming to support the emotional well-being of ECE teachers. Targeting teachers with the highest levels of job-related stress may maximize the benefits of group-based mindfulness interventions, especially within the context of early childhood education. Preregistration Primary study aims were preregistered on ClinicalTrials.gov (Trial ID: NCT04815252). Moderation analyses presented in this manuscript were not included in the original preregistration.