Effectiveness and Cost-effectiveness of Online Brief Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy for the Improvement of Productivity in the Workplace: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.
Mitsuhiro Sado, Masashi Yamada, Akira Ninomiya, Maki Nagaoka, Naho Goto, Akihiro Koreki, Atsuo Nakagawa, Zindel V. Segal, Masaru Mimura
JMIR Research Protocols June 13, 2022 DOI: 10.2196/36012 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial (protocol) Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 104 |
| Population | Employees aged 20-65 years working more than 30 hours weekly, recruited from three companies in different industries |
| Intervention | Online-delivered brief mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (bMBCT) |
| Duration | 4-week intervention with 6-month follow-up (assessments at 4, 16, and 28 weeks) |
| Measures | World Health Organization Health and Work Performance Questionnaire (WHO-HPQ) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Burnout Cost-effectiveness Ehealth Employee Heath outcome Internet-based Mental health Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy Occupational health Online Productivity Randomized controlled trial Stress Workplace |
| Key findings | The protocol describes a planned test of whether online-delivered brief mindfulness-based cognitive therapy improves productivity and other work-related outcomes in healthy employees compared with a waitlist control. The authors state that the effectiveness of such modified programs for productivity is still unclear and that this trial is designed to provide new data on the relationship between mindfulness-based programs and occupational health and productivity. |
Abstract
Numerous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) among both clinical and nonclinical populations. These data document positive impacts in the workplace, including reducing perceived stress and burnout and increasing well-being. However, the effectiveness for productivity, which is of most interest to managers and administrators, is still unclear. In addition, MBPs in the workplace tend to be modified by reducing the number of the program sessions or delivering content online to improve accessibility. To date, however, the impact of MBPs that feature these modifications on productivity in the workplace has not been investigated. The study aims to investigate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of online-delivered brief mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (bMBCT) for improving productivity and other work-related outcomes among healthy workers compared to the waitlist control. We will conduct a 4-week randomized controlled trial (RCT) with a 6-month follow-up. Employees are included in the study if they (1) are between the ages of 20 and 65 years and (2) work longer than 30 hours weekly. Employees are randomly allocated to either the bMBCT group or the waitlist control group. The primary outcome of the study is the mean difference of productivity measured by the World Health Organization Health and Work Performance Questionnaire (WHO-HPQ) between the groups at 4, 16, and 28 weeks. Secondary outcomes include several clinical outcomes and health economics evaluation. We started recruiting participants in August 2021, and the intervention began in October 2021. A total of 104 participants have been enrolled in the study as of October 2021. The intervention is scheduled to be completed in December 2023. Data collection will be completed by the end of January 2024. The novelty of the study is that (1) it will investigate bMBCT's effectiveness on productivity, which is still unclear, and (2) samples are recruited from 3 companies in different industries. The limitations of the study are that (1) all measures assessed are in self-report format and (2) we lack an active control group. This study has the potential to provide new data on the relationship between MBPs and occupational health and productivity. University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry UMIN000044721; https://tinyurl.com/4e2fh873. DERR1-10.2196/36012.
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 26
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2000
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2004
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Health Care Professionals: Results From a Randomized Trial. International Journal of Stress Management May 1, 2005
- A randomized controlled trial of mindfulness meditation versus relaxation training: Effects on distress, positive states of mind, rumination, and distraction Annals of Behavioral Medicine February 1, 2007
and 21 more in the library