Healthcare, social care, and teaching staff commonly experience high work-related stress, which in turn can affect their mental health, work engagement, service quality and job retention.
This multi-site randomised controlled trial recruited 260 staff from 13 NHS Trusts across England. The trial tested two NICE-recommended interventions: 4-week SRP (widely available) versus 8-week MBCT-L (not yet routine). Stress was measured at baseline and 20 weeks post-course.
MBCT-L reduced stress far more effectively than SRP (by an extra 3.29 points on the Perceived Stress Scale). It also significantly improved depression, burnout, self-organisation and job satisfaction.
Despite higher delivery costs, MBCT-L offered promising value for money within the short evaluation timeframe (£7,580 per QALY gained; £37 per stress point reduced).
These findings could inform national policy, NHS strategic investment in staff wellbeing, and further research into wellbeing support barriers for forensic NHS staff.
Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust has continued MBCT-L delivery post-trial, reaching 80 staff last year and expecting 100 annually.
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