Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Jul 9, 2021
Open Peer Review Period: Jul 9, 2021 - Jul 16, 2021
Date Accepted: Dec 22, 2021
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
The Relative Contributions of Live and Recorded Online Mindfulness Training Programs to Lower Stress in the Workplace: A Longitudinal Observational Study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Despite numerous gaps in the literature, mindfulness training in the workplace is rapidly proliferating. Many “online” or “digital mindfulness” programs do not distinguish between live teaching and recorded or asynchronous sessions, yet differences in delivery mode (e.g., face-to-face, online live, online self-guided, other) may explain outcomes.
Objective:
The objective of this study was to use existing data from an online mindfulness solutions company to assess the relative contribution of live and recorded mindfulness training to lower perceived stress in employees.
Methods:
Perceived stress and the amount of live and recorded online mindfulness training accessed by employees were assessed during eMindful’s One-Percent Challenge (OPC). The OPC is a 30-day program wherein participants are encouraged to spend 1% of their day (14 min) practicing mindfulness meditation on the platform. We used linear, mixed effects models to assess the relationship between stress reduction and usage of components of the eMindful platform (live teaching and recorded options) while controlling for potential reporting bias (completion) and sampling bias.
Results:
Participants who registered for the OPC included 8,431 from 44 companies, with 92% completing stress assessments prior to the OPC, and 28% completing the post-assessment. About a quarter completed both assessments (27%; n = 2,407). Most completers engaged in the platform at least once (90%), 8.5% accessed only recorded sessions while 33.8% participated only in the live programs. Most participants engaged in both live and recorded options, with those who used recordings at all (32.2%) tending to use them 3-4 times. Controlling for completer status, participation at all with the eMindful OPC reduced stress, B = -.32 [-0.35 – -0.30], SE = .01, t(2393.25) = -24.99, p < .001, Cohen’s d = -1.02. Participation in live programs drove decreases in stress, B = -.03, SE = .01, t(3258.61) = -3.03, p = .002, d = -.11, while participation in recorded classes alone did not. Regular practice across the month led to greater reduction in stress.
Conclusions:
Live mindfulness programs, with recorded or on demand programs used to supplement live practices, confers the strongest likelihood of achieving a significant decrease in stress levels. Clinical Trial: NA
Citation
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