Preventing Educator Stress and Promoting Wellbeing with a Brief Daily Intervention: Results from the CALM (Comprehensive Approach to Learning Mindfulness) Program

Introduction:

Teaching is one of the most stressful professions. Compared to other occupations, teaching is rated worse in physical health, psychological wellbeing, and job satisfaction. Few professional development models have been tested to support educators’ stress management and wellbeing, but recent research suggests mindfulness-based interventions are a promising strategy to improve teachers’ wellbeing and reduce their stress.

 Methods:

The current research tested the efficacy of the CALM program, a brief daily yoga-based intervention integrated into the school setting. This wait-list controlled trial involved 64 educators from two schools. CALM, developed specifically for educators, involved 64 20-minute sessions of gentle yoga and mindfulness practices offered 4 days per week before the start of the school day. Participants were encouraged to attend twice per week. Data were collected through in-person physiological assessments, self-report surveys, and saliva collection at pretest, 5 months later at posttest, and an additional 6 months later at follow-up. Self-report surveys included measures of mindfulness, teaching efficacy, affect, stress, and stress-related problems. Physiological measures included blood pressure and diurnal salivary cortisol.

 Results:

The CALM program was implemented with fidelity, well attended, and received a positive response from educators. Educators attended an average of 24 sessions, with 56% attending an average of once per week and 32% attending an average of 2 or more sessions per week. Most indicated that they would recommend the program to others (94%) and rated the CALM program as equally or more useful/effective than other ways of managing stress at work (100%), other professional development opportunities in which they had participated (96%), and other ways of promoting health and wellbeing for school personnel (100%). 

Efficacy was evaluated through ANCOVA models with age, gender, years teaching, and pretest scores included as covariates. Effect sizes were computed with Cohen’s d. At posttest, CALM was associated with significant improvements in mindfulness, teaching efficacy, positive affect, and distress tolerance. CALM was also associated with trend level preventive effects in the areas of time urgency and burnout. Compared to controls, CALM participants decreased over time in physical symptoms and blood pressure. A significant preventive effect was also evident in the Cortisol Awakening Response. Most effect sizes were small to moderate. Analyses of follow-up data and effects of participation rate will also be presented.

Conclusion:

CALM shows promise as a feasible and efficacious strategy to help educators reduce stress and to promote wellbeing and physical health within the school setting.