Are you in the right headspace? Using a mindfulness-based mobile application as a wellbeing intervention in the workplace
Chelsea Marie Robinson
UC Research Repository 2018 DOI: 10.26021/6473 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Longitudinal Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 12 |
| Population | Community support workers |
| Intervention | guided meditations |
| Dose | daily 10-minute guided meditations |
| Duration | 30 days |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key findings | Mindfulness delivered through a smartphone app reduced burnout, perceived stress, and negative affect while increasing mindfulness, employee resilience, and positive affect in community support workers. No significant changes were found for compassion fatigue or self-compassion. The authors suggest this approach may be a feasible wellbeing intervention for this population. |
Abstract
Burnout is one of the fundamental challenges of working life, and those working in jobs involving high levels of emotional labour, like community support work, are most susceptible to developing it. Burnout is an important issue because it not only negatively impacts employee physical and mental health, but also patient quality of care, and it contributes to staff absenteeism and high staff turnover. The aim of the current study was to explore the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based smartphone application called Headspace as a wellbeing intervention for support workers. The study used a longitudinal design and studied 12 people randomly allocated into either a treatment group (n = 8) or wait-list control group (n = 4) who also completed the intervention. For 30 days participants listened to daily 10-minute guided meditations which were downloaded onto their workplace-assigned smartphones, meaning they could listen to them at their own convenience, something essential due to the mobile nature of the job. The results suggest that mindfulness delivered through smartphones can reduce burnout, perceived stress, negative affect and increase mindfulness, employee resilience and positive affect in community support workers. There were no significant changes for compassion fatigue or self-compassion. The present study contributes to the limited research on mindfulness-based smartphone-delivered wellbeing initiatives and is the first to study community support workers whilst addressing implications and directions for future research.
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 |