A Pragmatic Controlled Trial of a Brief Yoga and Mindfulness-Based Program for Psychological and Occupational Health in Education Professionals

Prevalence of stress and its relevance on psychological well-being of the teaching profession: A scoping review

Background

Well-being among teachers contributes toward quality work and better student support. Teachers' well-being persists to be a concern in school settings; there is a lacuna in understanding the concept of well-being among them. This scoping review identifies the stress factors and map their association with the psychological well-being of teachers employed in schools. Additionally, to identify the methodology and the interventions used in reducing teachers' stress and their relevance on their psychological well-being.

Methods

First, Pubmed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were searched for eligible studies with MeSH terms for stress factors, well-being, and teachers from 2010 to 2022. Identified studies were screened thoroughly and excluded or included based on prior established criteria. Data from the included studies were extracted and summarized according to the study protocol.

Results

Among the 60 studies that met our inclusion criteria, the majority were quantitative, with cross-sectional studies. Several studies focused on emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and diminished personal accomplishment aspect among teachers. Almost half of the included studies focused on organizational and social pressures such as administration workload, classroom management issues, lack of supervisor and team support, students' behaviour, and pressure from parents. The most used interventions to overcome stress were coping strategies and mindfulness training intervention tools.

Conclusions

The findings from the current scoping review will reveal the different stressors which impact psychological well-being. Focus on the most used interventions to overcome stress among schoolteachers. This will also provide recommendations to regulators and management to identify the factors causing stress among teachers and their relevance to their psychological well-being, overcome employee turnover and absenteeism issues. Also, different alternatives available to reduce the stress may benefit the stakeholders and policymakers to confirm a suitable intervention that will benefit the teaching profession.

Intervention Programs Targeting the Mental Health, Professional Burnout, and/or Wellbeing of School Teachers: Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses

This paper outlines a systematic review and meta-analyses to identify, describe, and evaluate randomised and non-randomised controlled trials of psychological programs targeting the mental health, professional burnout, and/or wellbeing of school classroom teachers. Eighty-eight unique studies were identified for inclusion in the review, and of those 46 were included in the meta-analyses (23 randomised controlled trials). In randomised controlled trials, the programs examined had large effects on stress (g=0.93), and moderate effects on anxiety (g=0.65), depression (g=0.51), professional burnout (g=0.57), and wellbeing (g=0.56) at post. In non-randomised controlled trials, programs had moderate effects on stress (g=0.50), and small effects on anxiety (g=0.38) and wellbeing (g=0.38) at post. Studies were heterogeneous in design and methodological quality was generally poor, particularly in non-randomised controlled trials. There was an inadequate number of comparisons to perform sub-group analyses, meta-regression, or publication bias analyses. Most of the programs examined required significant time, effort, and resources to deliver and complete. These programs may not translate well outside of research trials to real-world contexts due to teachers being time-poor. Priorities for research include using methodologically rigorous designs, developing programs for teachers with teachers (i.e. co-design), and considering implementation factors to ensure feasibility, acceptability, and uptake. Systematic Review Registration Number: PROPSERO - CRD42020159805.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10648-023-09720-w.

Self-compassion in weight management: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE

Self-compassion - the tendency or ability to treat oneself kindly in times of failure or distress - may be a natural fit to support individuals who struggle with weight management. However, while self-compassion shows promise with improving health behaviours, the associations self-compassion has on weight management outcomes are unclear. The objective of this systematic review was three-fold: (1) to evaluate whether self-compassion interventions can increase individual self-compassion in the context of weight management, (2) to investigate if self-compassion interventions can improve weight management outcomes, defined as healthier eating, increased physical activity, or reduced weight and finally, (3) to explore whether these benefits can be sustained over the longer term.

METHODS

Following PRISMA guidelines, Scopus, PsycINFO, Medline, PubMed and Embase databases were searched. Studies including a measure of self-compassion and a self-compassion intervention reporting weight management outcomes were included. Studies in populations living with an eating disorder were excluded. The Quality Criteria Checklist from the American Dietetic Association was used to assess study quality. Prospero Registration #CRD42019146707.

RESULTS

Of the 9082 records screened, a total of 20 studies met inclusion criteria. Seventeen studies reported significant increases in self-compassion post-intervention. Improvements were also found for eating behaviours (15 of 18), physical activity behaviours (6 of 9), and weight loss (6 of 11). The majority of improvements were maintained at follow-up, except for physical activity behaviours (1 of 7).

CONCLUSION

Self-compassion interventions tailored to weight management outcomes demonstrate efficacy with increasing self-compassion post-intervention. Methodological weaknesses and questions about the maintenance of any improvements in weight management outcomes limit our ability to make strong conclusions. However, there is promise and clear relevance for including self-compassion interventions to enhance weight management outcomes; directions for improved intervention and study design are given.

Evaluation of a Yoga-Based Mind-Body Intervention for Resident Physicians: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background and Objective

Mind-body interventions (MBIs) have been shown to be effective individual-level interventions for mitigating physician burnout, but there are no controlled studies of yoga-based MBIs in resident physicians. We assessed the feasibility of a yoga-based MBI called RISE (resilience, integration, self-awareness, engagement) for residents among multiple specialties and academic medical centers.

Methods

We conducted a waitlist controlled randomized clinical trial of the RISE program with residents from multiple specialty departments at three academic medical centers. The RISE program consisted of six weekly sessions with suggested home practice. Feasibility was assessed across six domains: demand, implementation, practicality, acceptability, adaptation, and integration. Self-reported measures of psychological health were collected at baseline, post-program, and two-month follow-up.

Results

Among 2,000 residents contacted, 75 were assessed for eligibility and 56 were enrolled. Forty-four participants completed the study and were included in analysis. On average, participants attended two of six sessions. Feasibility of in-person attendance was rated as 28.9 (SD 25.6) on a 100-point visual analogue scale. Participants rated feasibility as 69.2 (SD 26.0) if the program was offered virtually. Those who received RISE reported improvements in mindfulness, stress, burnout, and physician well-being from baseline to post-program, which were sustained at two-month follow-up.

Conclusion

This is the first controlled study of a yoga-based MBI in residents. While the program was not feasible as delivered in this pilot study, initial analyses showed improvement in multiple measures of psychological health. Residents reported that virtual delivery would increase feasibility.