Buffering Stress or Building Resources? A Test of Mindfulness Mechanisms in the Workplace.
Shanice Herms, Anna Sutton, Katharina Näswall
Psychological Reports July 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1177/00332941251355190 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 293 |
| Population | Working adults |
| Intervention | Mindfulness |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Engagement Job satisfaction Psychological capital Stress-buffering Turnover intentions Awareness Presence Workplace well-being Employee health Organizational wellness Work-life balance Inner strength Personal growth Resilience Self-efficacy Optimism Hope Stress management Stress reduction Coping mechanisms |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key findings | Mindfulness buffers the negative impact of stress on work engagement, job satisfaction, and turnover intentions, and psychological capital mediates the effect of mindfulness on work engagement and job satisfaction. |
Abstract
The positive effects of mindfulness have been studied extensively, but research identifying how mindfulness works is lacking. This study aimed to investigate two possible working mechanisms of mindfulness. First, we explored whether mindfulness works by buffering the negative effects of work stress. Second, we tested whether mindfulness improves work outcomes through the enhancement of psychological capital. An online cross-sectional survey assessing mindfulness, psychological capital, stress, turnover intentions, work engagement and job satisfaction was completed by 293 working adults. Three structural equation models tested different ways in which mindfulness exerts its positive influence on these outcomes through moderating and mediating effects. Findings indicate that mindfulness can buffer the negative impact of stress on work engagement, job satisfaction and turnover intentions. In addition, psychological capital mediated the effect of mindfulness on work engagement and job satisfaction. The results suggests that mindfulness exerts its positive influence on work outcomes through different pathways either by buffering stress or by aiding in the development of personal resources, depending on the specific outcome. Both mindfulness training and training to increase psychological resources should be integrated in the workplace.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups | 2008 | Cross-sectional study | |
| Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Adult participants | 2007 | Observational cross-sectional | n = 27 |
| Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). School-aged children and adolescents | 2011 | Cross-sectional validation study | n = 1,413 |
| Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators | 2012 | Cross-sectional study | n = 152 |
| Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Undergraduates | 2008 | Cross-sectional, correlational |
Citations in the library
Cites 24
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2012
- Perils and promise in defining and measuring mindfulness: Observations from experience. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- How Does Mindfulness Training Affect Health? A Mindfulness Stress Buffering Account Current Directions in Psychological Science December 1, 2014
and 19 more in the library