Implementing workplace-adapted mindfulness-based stress reduction in private companies
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN93567471 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN93567471 |
| Secondary identifying numbers | 1715 |
- Submission date
- 14/02/2022
- Registration date
- 15/02/2022
- Last edited
- 16/03/2023
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Mental and Behavioural Disorders
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are being implemented in many private and public workplaces. Previous research has shown MBIs in workplace settings to be effective in reducing perceived stress, symptoms of anxiety and depression as well as enhancing well-being. Recent research indicates that workplace MBIs facilitate enhanced communication and collaboration within the workplace. Practising mindfulness enables a greater awareness of one’s own patterns of behaviour and can in effect enable individuals to be less reactive in situations of stress. Moreover, practising mindfulness facilitates greater compassion for yourself and others. These parameters may positively affect the psychological work environment. Prevously, the MBIs implemented in workplace settings varied in both the content and the length of the intervention. Therefore, there is a need to investigate the feasibility and impact of a documented effective MBI in workplace settings. One such intervention is the manualized programme, Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Consequently, the aims of this study are:
1. To systematically develop a workplace-adapted Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme
2. To evaluate the feasibility of implementing a workplace-adapted MBSR program in small and medium-sized private companies
3. To evaluate the impact of a workplace-adapted MBSR programme on mental health and psychological work environment
Who can participate?
All employees and managers from small and medium-sized private companies
What does the study involve?
The study involves employees and managers from four small and medium-sized private companies. Each company receives an intervention consisting of three elements:
1. An obligatory 2-hour introductory session on mental health and mindfulness for all employees and managers
2. A 10-week workplace-adapted MBSR-programme for self-selecting employees and managers
3. The offer of participating in a workshop on further implementation of mindfulness in the company for selected managers and employee representatives
All employees and managers receive electronic questionnaires at the start of the study, after the intervention and at 12 months follow-up. Selected employees and managers are asked to participate in focus group interviews at the start of the study and after the intervention.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Previous research has found MBSR effective in reducing stress, symptoms of depression and anxiety and enhancing well-being. There are indications that mindfulness in a workplace setting may facilitate healthier work environments with more constructive conflict management. There are no known risks of participating.
Where is the study run from?
The study is run from Denmark in a collaboration between the Danish Center for Mindfulness, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University and Southern University of Denmark
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
January 2020 to February 2022
Who is funding the study?
The Velliv Association (Denmark)
Who is the main contact:
Lise Juul
lise.juul@clin.au.dk
Contact information
Principal Investigator
Hack Kampmanns Plads 1-3
4th floor
Aarhus C
8000
Denmark
 ORCID ID |
0000-0003-3640-7593 |
|---|---|
| Phone | + 45 (0)24619664 |
| lise.juul@clin.au.dk |
Study information
| Study design | Quasi-experimental interventional trial without control group |
|---|---|
| Primary study design | Interventional |
| Secondary study design | Non randomised study |
| Study setting(s) | Other |
| Study type | Prevention |
| Participant information sheet | Not available in web format, please use contact details to request a participant information sheet |
| Scientific title | The feasibility and impact of implementing workplace-adapted mindfulness-based stress reduction in small and medium-sized private companies on the mental health and psychological work environment: a mixed-methods, quasi-experimental study |
| Study objectives | Hypotheses: 1. The mental health of individuals will improve following participation in a workplace-adapted Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme 2. Enhanced awareness through practising mindfulness will improve pro-social behaviour and interpersonal relations 3. Enhancements in pro-social behaviour and interpersonal relations among those choosing to participate in a workplace-adapted MBSR-programme are expected to affect the psychological work environment in the entire company |
| Ethics approval(s) | Approved 24/02/2020, The Danish Data Protection Agency (Carl Jacobsens Vej 35, 2500 Valby, DK; +45 (0)33193200; dt@datatilsynet.dk), ref: 2016-051-000001/1715 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Individual mental health and psychological work environment promotion and prevention in private companies |
| Intervention | The intervention is three-fold: 1. 2-hour obligatory introductory sessions for all employees and managers within four small and medium-sized private companies 2. A 10-week workplace-adapted MBSR-programme for self-selected employees and managers within the respective companies 3. A 2-hour workshop for selected managers and employee representatives on further implementation of mindfulness in the companies following the MBSR-programme A certified MBSR teacher carries out both the two-hour introductory sessions and the workplace-adapted MBSR-programme. The workplace-adapted MBSR-programme is delivered in a live online format with one weekly 1.5-hour session. The workshop is led by an organizational psychologist, a scientific assistant and a certified MBSR teacher and delivered in a live online format. |
| Intervention type | Behavioural |
| Primary outcome measure | Perceived stress level measured using Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10) at baseline, post-intervention and at 12 months follow-up |
| Secondary outcome measures | Utilizing mixed methods, both quantitative and qualitative methods are used to evaluate the feasibility and impact of the intervention. Quantitative evaluation: 1. Self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety measured using Hopkins Symptom Check List-5 (SCL-5) at baseline, post-intervention and at 12 months follow-up 2. Self-reported well-being measured using Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (SWEMWBS) at baseline, post-intervention and at 12 months follow-up 3. Self-reported resilience measured using Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) at baseline, post-intervention and at 12 months follow-up 4. Self-reported mindfulness practice measured using questions related to mindfulness practice at post-intervention and 12 months follow-up 5. Self-reported sleep measured using 6 items of the Karolinska Sleep Questionnaire at baseline, post-intervention and at 12 months follow-up 6. Social capital in the workplace measured using a questionnaire developed by the Danish National Institute of Occupational Health at baseline, post-intervention and at 12 months follow-up 7. Negative acts in the workplace measured using Negative Act Questionnaire-short (NAQ-S) at baseline, post-intervention and at 12 months follow-up 8. Self-reported dispositional mindfulness measured using Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire-15 (FFMQ-15) at baseline, post-intervention and at 12 months follow-up 9. Organizational conditions relating to the psychological work environment, such as social support and work-life balance, measured using questions from a questionnaire on psychological work environment developed by the Danish National Institute of Occupational Health at baseline, post-intervention and at 12 months follow-up Qualitative evaluation: 1. Data on participants' knowledge of mindfulness, perceived stress and stress management, organizational conditions for psychological work environment and knowledge of facilitators and barriers to implementation, collected using semi-structured focus group interviews with both employees and managers in each company at baseline and post-intervention 2. Team psychological safety measured using the 7-item scale developed by Amy Edmundson at baseline, post-intervention and at 12 months follow-up |
| Overall study start date | 01/01/2020 |
| Completion date | 01/02/2022 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Other |
|---|---|
| Age group | All |
| Sex | Both |
| Target number of participants | According to power calculations, a number of 150 participants are required to detect a mean change of 1.5 point on the PSS-score |
| Total final enrolment | 250 |
| Key inclusion criteria | 1. For companies to enroll in this trial, they have to be a small or medium-sized private company (10-250 employees and managers) 2. All employees and managers within the enrolled companies are eligible for inclusion |
| Key exclusion criteria | Companies with more than 250 employees |
| Date of first enrolment | 28/02/2020 |
| Date of final enrolment | 04/12/2020 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- Denmark
Study participating centres
Hack Kampmanns Plads 1-3
4th floor
Aarhus
8000
Denmark
Odense
5230
Denmark
Sponsor information
University/education
Nordre Ringgade 1
Aarhus
8000
Denmark
| Phone | +45 (0)87150000 |
|---|---|
| mindfulness@clin.au.dk | |
| Website | http://www.au.dk/en/ |
"ROR" |
https://ror.org/01aj84f44 |
Funders
Funder type
Other
No information available
Results and Publications
| Intention to publish date | 01/02/2023 |
|---|---|
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | Yes |
| IPD sharing plan summary | Available on request |
| Publication and dissemination plan | 1. Planned publications in high-impact peer-reviewed journals 2. Planned dissemination at international conferences regarding mental health and psychological work environment |
| IPD sharing plan | Anonymized data will be available upon reasonable request from the Principal Investigator, Associate Professor Lise Juul (lise.juul@clin.au.dk). The quantitative data will be available for researchers following the publication of the results of the trial until 01/03/2025. The quantitative data can be used for replication of the analyses performed. Participants provided consent by completing baseline questionnaires, this being the standard protocol in Denmark when performing non-biological research. The qualitative data will not be made freely available but we encourage interested researchers to contact us, should questions arise. |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protocol file | In Danish | 01/09/2019 | 05/09/2022 | No | No |
| Results article | 06/12/2022 | 16/03/2023 | Yes | No | |
| Results article | 07/03/2023 | 16/03/2023 | Yes | No |
Additional files
Editorial Notes
16/03/2023: Publication references added.
05/09/2022: Protocol file uploaded.
01/03/2022: The sponsor email address was updated.
15/02/2022: Trial's existence confirmed by the Danish Data Protection Agency.
