Internet-based instructor-led mindfulness for work-related rumination, fatigue, and sleep: Assessing facets of mindfulness as mechanisms of change. A randomized waitlist control trial.

A seminal research study of the University of Surrey, School of Psychology investigated the effectiveness of the Be Mindful digital program on key factors associated with 'recovery from work' (affective rumination, problem-solving pondering, chronic fatigue, acute fatigue, sleep quality), using a randomised waitlist control trial design.

The study was published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology in April 2017, reporting that Be Mindful had a significant and positive influence on all factors, including reducing levels of affective rumination by 25% and chronic fatigue by 26%, while improving sleep quality by 33%. These outcomes were maintained at the 3- and 6-month follow-ups, providing further evidence of the long-lasting effect of mindfulness and supporting the effectiveness of digital  mindfulness interventions.

The mechanisms through which mindfulness works was also a part of the research, where they identified one important facet of mindfulness responsible for the improved wellbeing benefits, providing a further understanding of how mindfulness exerts its positive influence, and confirming the notion that this can be delivered and learned successfully via an online method.

The findings not only show the highly significant mental health and wellbeing benefits of mindfulness in a workplace setting, but also strongly support the effectiveness of mindfulness training delivered online, offering an insight into how the Be Mindful course could provide an effective and long-lasting solution to aid recovery from work on scale, as both a prevention and intervention.