Mindfulness program for workers in Japan: online program focused on informal training in the workplace.
Mina Nakano
Frontiers in Psychology 2025 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1526275 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 80 |
| Population | Japanese workers |
| Intervention | Online mindfulness program |
| Duration | 3 months |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Mental health program Stress-management Worker Brief mindfulness Practical mindfulness training Stress relief Workplace mental health Decentering cognitive decentering Psychological decentering |
| Key findings | Participants in the online mindfulness program showed significant improvements in self-compassion, communication skills, decentering, and wellbeing, while the control group showed no notable changes. |
Abstract
Mindfulness has gained prominence as an effective tool for managing stress and preventing depression. However, many workers in Japan find it challenging to commit to lengthy mindfulness sessions. This study addressed this issue by developing a six-session online mindfulness program tailored to Japanese workers, which emphasizes decentering (the ability to view thoughts and emotions as separate and transient) and informal mindfulness practices that can be easily incorporated into daily work routines. The program was designed to improve mental wellbeing, self-compassion, communication skills, and decentering abilities. A total of 80 participants who completed the program were compared with a control group of 134 workers who did not receive the intervention. The program comprised 90 min bi-weekly sessions held over 3 months. It incorporated brief meditation exercises and informal mindfulness practices based on actual workplace scenarios. Participants in the intervention group demonstrated significant improvements in self-compassion, communication skills, decentering, and wellbeing. Conversely, the control group showed no notable changes. These findings suggest that even short, structured mindfulness interventions can lead to substantial psychological benefits when tailored to the realities of a busy professional life.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cites 6
- Mechanisms of mindfulness Journal of Clinical Psychology December 29, 2005
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction as a Stress Management Intervention for Healthy Individuals Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine July 22, 2014
- A Workplace Mindfulness Intervention May Be Associated With Improved Psychological Well-Being and Productivity. A Preliminary Field Study in a Company Setting Frontiers in Psychology February 28, 2018
- Mindfulness and Self-compassion Decrease Emotional Symptoms, Self-criticism, Rumination and Worry in College Students: A Preliminary Study of the Effects of Group Self-compassion-based Interventions Journal of Evidence-Based Psychotherapies September 1, 2023
- Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on employees’ mental health: A systematic review PLoS One January 24, 2018
and 1 more in the library