Mindfulness Is Associated With Lower Stress and Higher Work Engagement in a Large Sample of MOOC Participants

• DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.724126
• Publication Date: 2021-09-10T05:14:24Z
• Authors: Larissa Bartlett; Marie-Jeanne Buscot; Aidan Bindoff; Richard Chambers; Craig Hassed
• Keywords: stress; work engagement; mindfulness; meditation; 4. Education; 0502 economics and business; 05 social sciences; Psychology; online course; 16. Peace & justice; BF1-990

Objective: This study aimed to understand the associations between mindfulness, perceived stress, and work engagement in a very large sample of English-speaking adults, from 130 different countries. It also aimed to assess participants' self-reported changes following a 6-week mindfulness massive open online course (MOOC).Methods: Participants in the 6-week MOOC were invited to complete pre-post online surveys. Cross-sectional associations were assessed using univariate linear models, followed by structural equation models to test mediation pathways in baseline data (N = 16,697). Self-reported changes in mindfulness, stress and engagement following training were assessed using paired t-tests (n = 2,105).Results: Each standard deviation unit increase in mindfulness was associated with a 0.52 standard deviation unit decrease in perceived stress, and with 0.06 standard deviation unit increment in work engagement. 73% of the influence of mindfulness on engagement was direct. Following the mindfulness MOOC, participants reported higher mindfulness (d = 1.16), reduced perceived stress (d = 1.00) and a small improvement in work engagement (d = 0.29).Conclusions: Mindfulness was associated with lower perceived stress and higher work engagement in both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. These findings support mindfulness as a potentially protective and modifiable personal resource. The MOOC format offers a low cost, highly accessible means for extending the reach and potential benefits of mindfulness training to large numbers of people.