Effect of Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction Intervention on Job Stress Among Primary School Teachers in Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Despite numerous research reports demonstrating the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) intervention on psychological well-being, it is unclear how MBSR intervention affects primary school teachers’ job stress, especially in a developing country like Nigeria. This study aims to examine whether MBSR intervention is effective in stress reduction among primary school teachers in Nigeria. Methods: This study employed a quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test design with a control group. A total of 70 primary school teachers with stress symptoms were selected using a random sampling technique in Nsukka City, Nigeria during the third academic session of 2023. Thereafter, the sampled teachers were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (each group=35). The teacher stress scale (TSS) and perceived stress scale (PSS) were administered. Teachers in the experimental group received a MBSR intervention for eight weeks while the control group received no treatment. The data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) in SPSS software, version 29. Results: The results showed that the MBSR interventions had a significant reduction in the job stress of primary school teachers in the study (F(1.126, 68)=159.386; P=0.001, η2=0.221). Also, a statistically significant interaction effect was observed between time and intervention (F(2, 67)=120.272; P=0.001, η2=0.115). Conclusion: This intervention relies on the individual’s ability to consciously involve their efforts to pay attention to the surroundings, body sensations, thoughts, and emotions in dealing with job stress. This study adds to the emerging literature on mindfulness-based interventions in solving related psychological problems.

Keywords

• stress
• workplace
• intervention
• school teachers