Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Workplace Stress Among Secondary School Teachers ( WORKPLACE STRESS )

Workplace stress is one of the most significant occupational health challenges among school teachers and negatively affects psychological well-being, teaching effectiveness, and educational quality. Teachers frequently encounter excessive workload, administrative demands, classroom management difficulties, and work-life imbalance, making them particularly vulnerable to chronic stress. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn, is an evidence-based intervention designed to cultivate present-moment awareness and non-judgmental acceptance through mindfulness meditation, body scanning, mindful yoga, and other mindfulness practices. Numerous studies have demonstrated its effectiveness in reducing psychological stress and improving emotional well-being across diverse populations. This study will employ a two-arm parallel randomized controlled trial with pretest and posttest assessments. Eighty-six eligible secondary school teachers will be randomly allocated to either the experimental group receiving the standardized eight-week MBSR program or a wait-list control group receiving no intervention during the study period. The intervention consists of weekly 2.5-hour group sessions, a day-long retreat between Weeks 6 and 7, and daily home practice of 30-45 minutes. Outcome measures include workplace stress and perceived stress assessed before and immediately after the intervention. The study will also evaluate whether the effectiveness of MBSR differs by school sector (public versus private) and gender.

Inclusion criteria

(1) employed in a public or private school in Malakand Division, (2) had a WSS Total score of 24 or higher (moderate to high risk of workplace stress), (3) had a PSS-10 Total score of 20 or higher (moderate to high level of perceived stress), (4) were willing to provide written informed consent for the RCT and accept being randomly allocated to a group, and (5) speak Urdu or Pashto

Exclusion criteria

(1) participation at the time of recruitment in other structured psychological intervention, counselling and/or mindfulness program; (2) severe mental health diagnosis (psychosis, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder with suicidal ideation and/or PTSD); (3) use of psychotropic medication at the time of recruitment; (4) absence from teaching for more than four consecutive weeks during the previous three months; (5) intention to leave the teaching post or change districts during the 8 week period of the program