Changes in perceived stress during a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) intervention predicting occupational recovery from work-related stress: a longitudinal study
Johan Høy Jensen, Esben Meulengracht Flachs, Kajsa Ugelvig Petersen, Camilla Sandal Sejbæk, Lone Ross, Nanna Hurwitz Eller, Bassam Khoury
Research Square June 30, 2023 preprint DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3110351/v1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort (secondary analysis of pre-existing data) Longitudinal |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 450 |
| Population | Patients commencing an MBSR program between 15 October 2015 and 2 April 2019 |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) |
| Duration | 26-week and 52-week follow-ups |
| Measures | Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Greater pre-post reductions in perceived stress during an MBSR program were associated with lower odds of full-time sick leave at 26 and 52 weeks, with each one-point PSS-10 reduction linked to ORs of 1.12 and 1.19, respectively. No assessed predictors moderated these associations. |
Abstract
Purpose: The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) group intervention is increasingly being used in clinics to alleviate stress-related symptoms. The aim was to evaluate the association between pre-post changes in levels of perceived stress during the MBSR program and occupational recovery from prolonged work-related stress. Potential moderators of the association were assessed.
Methods: This study was based on secondary analyses of pre-existing data from 450 patients commencing an MBSR program between 15 October 2015 and 2 April 2019. Data on clinical, sociodemographic, and psychosocial factors were collected via an online survey administered at baseline and the end of the MBSR program. Pre-post changes in levels of perceived stress were evaluated using Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). The outcome was stable (versus unstable) employment for at least four consecutive weeks evaluated at 26-week and 52-week follow-ups. Missing data were managed with multiple imputation. Associations were analyzed using logistic regression, with adjustment for confounding factors from clinical, occupational, and psychosocial factors in the latest held job.
Results: The average reduction in PSS-10 scores was 5.0 (SD = 5.5). Each one-point pre-post reduction on the PSS-10 scale was associated with a lower risk of full-time sick-leave at 26-week (OR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.04, 1.20) and 52-week follow-up (OR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.09, 1.30). None of these associations were moderated by any predictors.
Conclusion: A greater reduction in levels of perceived stress during participation in an MBSR program, predicts enhanced occupational recovery from long-term work-related stress.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |
Citations in the library
Cites 5
- Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica April 28, 2011
- Examining the Occurrence and Clinical Impact of Difficult Experiences that Emerge during a Mindfulness-Based Intervention among Individuals at High-Risk of Suicide. Mindfulness June 18, 2024
- Mindfulness-based interventions for psychiatric disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review February 1, 2018
- Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on employees’ mental health: A systematic review PLoS One January 24, 2018
- The Many Facets of Mindfulness and the Prediction of Change Following Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Journal of Clinical Psychology August 16, 2017