Meditation awareness training for the treatment of workaholism: A controlled trial
William van Gordon, Edo Shonin, Thomas J. Dunn, Javier García-campayo, Marcelo Demarzo, Mark Damian Griffiths
Journal of Behavioral Addictions April 19, 2017 DOI: 10.1556/2006.6.2017.021 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 73 |
| Population | Male and female adults suffering from workaholism |
| Intervention | Meditation awareness training (MAT) |
| Duration | Assessments at pre-, post-, and 3-month follow-up phases |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 144 |
| Key findings | Compared with a waiting-list control group, participants receiving meditation awareness training showed significant and sustained improvements in workaholism symptomatology, job satisfaction, work engagement, work duration, and psychological distress, and reduced their working hours without a decline in job performance. The authors conclude that meditation awareness training may be a suitable treatment for workaholism and that further controlled studies are warranted. |
Abstract
Background and aims Workaholism is a form of behavioral addiction that can lead to reduced life and job satisfaction, anxiety, depression, burnout, work-family conflict, and impaired productivity. Given the number of people affected, there is a need for more targeted workaholism treatments. Findings from previous case studies successfully utilizing second-generation mindfulness-based interventions (SG-MBIs) for treating behavioral addiction suggest that SG-MBIs may be suitable for treating workaholism. This study conducted a controlled trial to investigate the effects of an SG-MBI known as meditation awareness training (MAT) on workaholism.
Methods: Male and female adults suffering from workaholism (n = 73) were allocated to MAT or a waiting-list control group. Assessments were performed at pre-, post-, and 3-month follow-up phases.
Results: MAT participants demonstrated significant and sustained improvements over control-group participants in workaholism symptomatology, job satisfaction, work engagement, work duration, and psychological distress. Furthermore, compared to the control group, MAT participants demonstrated a significant reduction in hours spent working but without a decline in job performance. Discussion and conclusions MAT may be a suitable intervention for treating workaholism. Further controlled intervention studies investigating the effects of SG-MBIs on workaholism are warranted.
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
Cited by 9
- Mindfulness-based therapy versus cognitive behavioral therapy for people with anxiety symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis of random controlled trials Annals of Palliative Medicine July 1, 2021
- Exploring Emptiness and its Effects on Non-attachment, Mystical Experiences, and Psycho-spiritual Wellbeing: A Quantitative and Qualitative Study of Advanced Meditators. Explore 2019
- The Role of Mindfulness in Treating Addictive Disorders and Rehabilitation International Journal of Psychology & Behavior Analysis November 21, 2018
- Meditation awareness training (MAT) for people living with cancer: A thematic analysis of weekly diary reflections Journal of Psychosocial Oncology February 25, 2026
- Mindfulness-based cognitive program as a potential intervention for managing smartphone addiction and resilience in adolescents: a pilot evaluation. Health psychology and behavioral medicine 2025
and 4 more in the library