Effectiveness of occupational therapy-based mindfulness to decrease burnout and increase productivity among office workers.

Bernabe, Corinne and Cho, Elizabeth and Morrow, Kelcy and Van Ommering, Anneke (2018) Effectiveness of occupational therapy-based mindfulness to decrease burnout and increase productivity among office workers. Masters thesis, Stanbridge University.

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Abstract

Full-time office workers often experience burnout and decreased productivity due to long hours spent in front of a computer. The symptoms of burnout are not only detrimental to the employee, but also the company they work for and the clients they serve. Burnout has been linked to depression, aggression, decreased commitment to clients, decreased cognitive performance, motivation, and judgment. Burnout has also been associated with a higher risk of physical and mental ailments such as increased blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, anxiety, and depression. Because burnout is a real and pervasive issue, this study addresses the effectiveness of occupational therapy-based mindfulness in decreasing burnout and increasing productivity among office workers. This study measured pre-test and post-test scores for the Perceived Stress Scale, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, and a Likert scale on all four participants. The intervention consisted of 90-minute group mindfulness training interventions once a week for four weeks. Mindfulness techniques included stress and time management, deep breathing, meditation, pleasant events calendar, laughter therapy, mindful walking, and yoga. The results from our surveys indicated that four out of four participants had a decrease in stress levels from “moderate” to “low” stress, four out of four participants had a decrease in exhaustion levels, two out of four participants had a decrease in cynicism levels, and three out of four participants had an increase in professional efficacy levels. In terms of qualitative data, deep breathing/meditation, office yoga, mindful walking, and laughter therapy activities were everyone’s favorite mindfulness activities. The study concludes that mindfulness training increases work engagement and productivity and decreases burnout levels among office workers.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Additional Information:	Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) degree.
Subjects:	R Medicine > RM Therapeutics. Pharmacology
Depositing User:	Fred Poling
Date Deposited:	13 Mar 2019 16:18
Last Modified:	24 Jan 2022 22:04
URI:	http://repository.stanbridge.edu/id/eprint/16

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