27 Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction intervention for elementary school teachers: a pilot study Table 1. Characteristics of the total research group Percentage (n =71) Male 4 Female 96 Psychological complaints Not have (had) psychological complaints 48 Current and/or past psychological complaints 52 Work place/weighted pupils 2 < 17% weighted pupils in school 73 ≥ 17% weighted pupils in school 27 Teachers’ work experience ranges from 1 year to 40 years (M = 14.9; SD = 10.5). Intervention The intervention involves MBSR based on the program developed by Kabat-Zinn (2013). It consists of a group training with 6-15 participants, comprising eight weekly two-hour sessions and a silent day. The training includes psychoeducation, interactive exercises, as well as various forms of meditation and yoga (see Table 2). The trainer was a certified category-1 trainer, trained at the Radboudumc Center for Mindfulness and affiliated with the Association Mindfulness-based Trainers Netherlands and Flanders. The following outcome measures were addressed: Measurements Perceived Stress: Perceived Stress Scale (PSS, Cronbach’s α = .83-.90; 10 items; 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 “never” to 5 “very common”) (Cohen et al., 1983). This questionnaire assesses the overall stress level experienced in the past month, capturing perceptions of unpredictability, uncontrollability, and overload in life. Sample questions include: “In the last month, how often have you felt upset by something happening unexpectedly? and “Have you felt nervous and stressed?”. Mindfulness skills: Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire Short Form (FFMQ-SF, Cronbach’s α = .85-.86; 24 items; 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 “never or very rarely true” to 5 “very often or always true”) (Baer et al., 2008). This questionnaire assesses five mindfulness skills associated with mental health: observing, describing, acting with awareness, non-judging, and non-reactivity. It consists of statements such as: “ It’s hard for me to find the words to describe what I’m thinking “ and “I find it difficult to stay focused on what’s happening in the present moment “. Self-compassion: Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form (SCS-SF, Cronbach’s α = .82- .84; 12 items; 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 “almost never” to 7 “almost always”) 2
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