Cited by 539Mindfulness and Compassion InterventionsWorkplace Health and Well-beingStress and Burnout Research

Effective and viable mind-body stress reduction in the workplace: A randomized controlled trial.

Wolever, Ruth Q., Bobinet, Kyra J., McCabe, Kelley, Mackenzie, Elizabeth R., Fekete, Erin, Kusnick, Catherine A., Baime, Michael·2012·Journal of Occupational Health Psychology

Abstract

Highly stressed employees are subject to greater health risks, increased cost, and productivity losses than those with normal stress levels. To address this issue in an evidence-based manner, worksite stress management programs must be able to engage individuals as well as capture data on stress, health indices, work productivity, and health care costs. In this randomized controlled pilot, our primary objective was to evaluate the viability and proof of concept for two mind-body workplace stress reduction programs (one therapeutic yoga-based and the other mindfulness-based), in order to set the stage for larger cost-effectiveness trials. A second objective was to evaluate 2 delivery venues of the mindfulness-based intervention (online vs. in-person). Intention-to-treat principles and 2 (pre and post) × 3 (group) repeated-measures analysis of covariance procedures examined group differences over time on perceived stress and secondary measures to clarify which variables to include in future studies: sleep quality, mood, pain levels, work productivity, mindfulness, blood pressure, breathing rate, and heart rate variability (a measure of autonomic balance). Two hundred and thirty-nine employee volunteers were randomized into a therapeutic yoga worksite stress reduction program, 1 of 2 mindfulness-based programs, or a control group that participated only in assessment. Compared with the control group, the mind-body interventions showed significantly greater improvements on perceived stress, sleep quality, and the heart rhythm coherence ratio of heart rate variability. The two delivery venues for the mindfulness program produced basically equivalent results. Both the mindfulness-based and therapeutic yoga programs may provide viable and effective interventions to target high stress levels, sleep quality, and autonomic balance in employees.

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Crossref · 10.1037/a0027278

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73 of 73 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • The negative effects of stress are pervasive and are implicated in virtually all major chronic conditions including heart disease, diabetes, and obesity, as well as mental health disorders such as substance abuse.

    “On a societal level, the negative effects of stress are pervasive and are implicated in virtually all of our major chronic conditions including heart disease, diabetes, and obesity, as well as mental health disorders such as substance abuse (Wolever, et al., 2012).”

    From The Effects of Labyrinth Walking in an Academic Library (2016) · cites this paper as Wolever, et al., 2012

  • In Wolever et al. (2012), a change in the expected direction (decrease in depression and increase in emotional regulation) occurred for both the control and the experimental groups.

    “in the case of Wolever et al. (2012), a change in the expected direction (i.e.decrease in depression and increase in emotional regulation) occurred for both the control and the experimental groups.”
  • Some studies, such as Klatt et al. (2009) and Wolever et al. (2012), provided conflicting scores that could be considered outliers, namely mindfulness in the former and depression and emotional regulation in the latter.

    “some studies, such as Klatt et al. (2009) and Wolever et al. (2012), provided conflicting scores that could be considered outliers, namely mindfulness in the former and depression and emotional regulation in the latter.”
  • Several studies on face-to-face or Web-based worker-directed interventions for non-sick-listed employees have shown positive effects of the interventions on symptom reduction.

    “All these studies showed positive effects of the interventions on symptom reduction.”
  • Twelve of the individual-focused studies (14-26) were considered to be of moderate methodological quality, with the remainder classified as low or very low in quality.

    “Twelve of these studies (14-26) were considered to be of moderate methodological quality, with the remainder classified as low or very low in quality”

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Authors
Wolever, R. Q., Bobinet, K. J., McCabe, K., Mackenzie, E. R., Fekete, E., Kusnick, C. A., & Baime, M.
Affiliations
  • Duke University (US)
  • Aetna (United States) (US)
  • University of Pennsylvania (US)
  • University of Indianapolis (US)
  • Headlands Center for the Arts (US)
Venue
Journal of Occupational Health Psychology
Published
2012-04
Volume
17
Issue
2
Pages
246-258
ISSN
  • 1076-8998 (ISSN-L)
  • 1939-1307
OpenAlex
W2109653476
Cited by
539
References
73
Citations by year
2026: 15 · 2025: 30 · 2024: 34 · 2023: 28 · 2022: 44 · 2021: 46 · 2020: 44 · 2019: 34 · 2018: 52 · 2017: 52 · 2016: 49 · 2015: 52 · 2014: 36 · 2013: 16 · 2012: 4
FWCI
39.28
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Journal of Occupational Health Psychology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Aetna, Inc.
  • eMindful, Inc.
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Workplace Health and Well-being
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Stress and Burnout Research
Keywords
occupational stress, mind-body interventions, yoga therapy, mindfulness-based interventions, employee stress reduction, perceived stress, sleep quality, heart rate variability, sympathovagal balance, labor productivity, cost-effectiveness
MeSH terms
Adult, Affect, Blood Pressure, Female, Heart Rate, Humans, Male, Sleep, Stress, Psychological, Yoga, Workplace, Meditation, Mind-Body Therapies, Respiratory Rate

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