Evaluation of an Occupational Mindfulness Program for Staff Employed in the Disability Sector in Australia

Employees in the disability sector are subject to a range of stressors in the work place, and it is important that employers provide stress-management interventions to optimize coping and psychological wellbeing of these staff. The purpose of this preliminary study was to evaluate the impact of a group-based training program, known as 'Occupational Mindfulness' (OM), on employee coping and wellbeing within a disability service in Australia. The study involved a longitudinal observational design. Thirty-four participants (22 managers and 12 disability support workers, aged 23 to 60 years) completed a range of mindfulness and psychological wellbeing measures prior to commencement of the OM training program and immediately following completion of the program. The program was positively evaluated by participants and found to be associated with significant increases in positive affect and the mindfulness facet of observing. In contrast, extrinsic job satisfaction decreased significantly from baseline to post-training, while negative affect, perceived stress, anxiety and negative emotional symptoms increased significantly. Depressive state, intrinsic job satisfaction, general job satisfaction, satisfaction with life, burnout, compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, compassion for others, self compassion and the four mindfulness facets of describing, acting with awareness, non-judging of inner experience and non-reactivity to inner experience did not change significantly from baseline to post-training. Participants reported enhanced awareness of signs and sources of stress, and positive changes in self-care attitudes and behaviours and interactions with clients and colleagues. Reasons for the seemingly paradoxical findings of highly favourable participant evaluation of the OM training program alongside increases in perceived stress, anxiety, negative emotional symptoms and negative affect and decreases in job satisfaction immediately following the program are discussed. Overall, the OM program yielded a range of benefits to participants and holds significant potential to be transferred to other work settings in the future.