Yoga, mindfulness and acupuncture impact on burnout: a preliminary meta-analysis

Mindfulness, yoga, and acupuncture are three practices that have received little attention in stress management literature, with scholars suggesting that they can improve physical and mental health, reduce stress and burnout, and boost productivity and job satisfaction. However, while there is growing interest in these practices, many employers remain sceptical about their potential benefits and are hesitant to invest resources in implementing them. This meta-analysis aimed to examine the impact of these practices on burnout and explore potential moderators. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to ensure comprehensive and transparent reporting in the identification of eligible studies. Overall, 21 studies were included (8 on mindfulness, 7 on yoga, and 6 on acupuncture), all involving independent samples, with a total of 1,364 participants. The meta-analytic results showed that all three therapeutic practices have consistent and beneficial effects on reducing burnout. Furthermore, moderation analyses indicated that mindfulness interventions conducted within the work schedule have a significant reduction in burnout, while acupuncture interventions with between 4 or 8 weeks (the more weeks, the better) also reduced burnout. However, no significant moderation effect was observed for yoga interventions. Overall, the findings provide insights into the effectiveness of these complementary practices in reducing burnout and highlight the need for further research in this area.