Cultivating Compassion and Reducing Stress and Mental Ill-Health in Employees-A Randomized Controlled Study
Christina Andersson1, Christin Mellner2, Peter Lilliengren3
1Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Frontiers in Psychology
|February 14, 2022
Summary
A 6-week compassion training intervention for employees reduced stress and mental ill-health. This program also significantly increased self-compassion, offering a promising approach for workplace well-being.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Organizational Behavior
Background:
- Stress and mental ill-health impose significant costs on individuals and organizations.
- Existing research on compassion-focused interventions in organizational settings is limited.
- Self-compassion interventions show potential for reducing stress and improving mental health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of a 6-week compassion training intervention on employee stress, mental health, and self-compassion.
- To compare the effects of compassion training with a physical exercise control condition within an organizational context.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 49 employees from two organizations.
- Intervention group received 6 weeks of compassion training.
- Control group engaged in physical exercise; data analyzed using multilevel growth models.
Main Results:
- Both groups showed decreased stress and mental ill-health over 3 months (Cohen's d = -0.46 and 0.33).
- The compassion training group demonstrated a significant increase in self-compassion (p = 0.03, between-group d = 0.53).
- No significant changes in life satisfaction were observed in either group.
Conclusions:
- Compassion training in organizations shows promise for reducing employee stress and mental ill-health.
- The intervention effectively enhanced self-compassion among employees.
- Workplace-based compassion interventions represent a viable strategy for improving psychological well-being.
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