ABSTRACT Educators frequently grapple with elevated levels of job-related stress, heightening the risk of mental health issues. Although Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) has demonstrated effectiveness in reducing stress among the general populace, its implementation among educators, especially in non-U.S. settings, has received limited exploration. This pre-registered randomized-controlled trial investigates the effectiveness of the standard MBSR in reducing perceived stress among Dutch elementary school teachers. Additionally, it examines the impact of MBSR on well-being as a secondary outcome, as well as on mindfulness skills, emotion regulation, and self-compassion as secondary proximal outcomes. Furthermore, it explores its influence on teacher self-efficacy, perceived pupil-teacher relationships, and classroom climate quality as secondary distal outcomes. Involving 146 teachers randomly assigned to either the intervention (n = 72) or waitlist-control condition (n = 74), assessments were conducted pre- and post-intervention or control period, with a three-month follow-up. Participants in the intervention reported significantly lower perceived stress compared to the control group, demonstrating a substantial effect size at post-treatment (d = -0.84) and a moderate effect at follow-up (d = -0.69). MBSR not only yielded improvements in personal well-being but also positively impacted teacher self-efficacy and classroom climate quality at both post-treatment and follow-up. These positive outcomes aligned with enhancements in mindfulness skills, emotion regulation, and self-compassion. However, no significant effects were observed on the pupil-teacher relationship. Exploratory analyses revealed no moderation effects based on past or present psychological problems, school weight/ pupil population, years of experience, or age on perceived stress at post-measurement. Furthermore, the study examined the potential influence of COVID-19 on the results, concluding that the pandemic had no discernible impact. These findings advocate for the widespread adoption of the standard MBSR program as a means of enhancing the well-being of elementary school teachers.
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