Examining the effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training on working adults

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) intervention on working adults. Mindfulness meditation, the core focus of MBSR, is the process of bringing an intentional non-judgmental awareness to present-moment experience. It was hypothesized that working adults who take an MBSR class will demonstrate a reduction in perceived stress and an enhanced mood. It was further hypothesized that qualities of mindfulness, acceptance, and life satisfaction would increase in a volunteer sample of working adults who take an MBSR class. The 3 test phases of the study (pre-, post-, and follow-up phases) aimed to investigate (a) Did the MBSR class have a measurable effect on well-being measures that evaluated perceived stress, mood, mindfulness, acceptance, life satisfaction, workplace stress, and coping skills in working adults? and (b) If so, did that effect last beyond the 8-week MBSR class?;Thirty volunteer participants from community-based MBSR classes completed pre-, post-, and 6-week follow-up quantitative assessments. The quantitative assessments measured stress, mood, mindfulness, acceptance, life satisfaction, workplace stress, and coping skills. Each assessment phase also included a demographics questionnaire to facilitate greater understanding of how MBSR affects perceptions of work stress and the workplace environment. The participant group ranged in age from 27 to 71 and included 6 men and 24 women. The study used a repeated measures approach to data analysis to examine any differences between results for the 3 test periods. Overall, the aim was for the data comparing the 3 phases to deepen the understanding of how MBSR might affect the perceived workplace stress and mood of adult working professionals. Ultimately, this inquiry aimed to explore the effectiveness of an empirically demonstrated health-management protocol on a specific non-clinical population within which the need for stress-management and health education has been documented.