Feasibility and Preliminary Outcomes of a Brief Mindfulness-Based Intervention (BMBI) to Decrease Stress and Improve Well-Being in Secondary School Teachers

Teachers often experience symptoms of stress and burnout due to the chronicity of their occupational demands. These symptoms can negatively impact teachers’ coping abilities and have implications for their physical and psychological health. Research indicates that mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have potential to help alleviate these symptoms of stress and burnout. Increasing numbers of MBIs for teachers have been implemented in the past five to ten years. However, few teacher-focused MBIs measure intervention feasibility and little data exist informing how to design and implement feasible MBIs in this context while simultaneously maximizing their potential positive effects. The current study examined the feasibility and preliminary outcomes of a randomized waitlist-control trial implementing a brief (four sessions, six hours) mindfulness-based intervention (bMBI) with a volunteer sample of secondary school teachers (N = 23). Results indicate that the bMBI was effective in significantly reducing teachers’ symptoms of stress and burnout. Mixed-method assessment of intervention feasibility suggests that the bMBI was acceptable, practical, and implemented with a high degree of fidelity. Findings highlight important nuances regarding intervention feasibility and potential mechanisms of change. Implications and directions for future research are discussed