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The Role of Dispositional Mindfulness and Self-compassion in Educator Stress

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Abstract

Objectives

Compromised educator well-being creates educational, social, and economic problems, which are not resolved by knowledge of risk factors alone. The present study explored the protective role of dispositional mindfulness and self-compassion within the context of educator stress.

Methods

A total of 231 educators from 21 Australian schools completed online surveys including measures of perceived stress, mindfulness, self-compassion, student-teacher relationships, experiences in close relationships, and eating and sleeping patterns, which were used for correlation, regression, and path analysis.

Results

The present study identified multiple predictors of perceived stress, with self-compassion as the strongest significant predictor. Findings of path analyses also demonstrated that lower levels of dispositional mindfulness and higher levels of anxiety in close relationships were associated with poor sleep quality, and this association was mediated by higher levels of perceived stress. The same potential pathways were suggested with self-compassion replacing dispositional mindfulness.

Conclusions

The role of dispositional mindfulness and self-compassion is discussed as protective resources that could be utilized in times of stress.

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Acknowledgments

Our sincere gratitude goes to the educators who participated in this project and Professor Harvey Goldstein for his advice on the previous versions of the manuscript and demonstration of academic rigor and integrity. We also thank the staff of Metropolitan Region, Organisational Health, Department of Education, Queensland and Business Engagement and Development, Department of Education, NSW, for their valuable support. The summary version of findings of this study was presented to research participants and the above named agencies.

Funding

This project was supported by a medical research grant awarded by Teachers Health Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Learning Sciences & Teacher Education, Australian Catholic University, Level 4, 229 Elizabeth Street, Brisbane CBD, QLD, 4000, Australia

    Yoon-Suk Hwang, Kirstine Hand & Jae-Eun Noh

  2. School of Psychology, The University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand

    Oleg N. Medvedev

  3. School of Public Health and Psychosocial Studies, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand

    Chris Krägeloh

  4. Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA

    Nirbhay N. Singh

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  1. Yoon-Suk Hwang
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  2. Oleg N. Medvedev
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  3. Chris Krägeloh
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  4. Kirstine Hand
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  5. Jae-Eun Noh
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  6. Nirbhay N. Singh
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Correspondence to Yoon-Suk Hwang.

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Hwang, YS., Medvedev, O.N., Krägeloh, C. et al. The Role of Dispositional Mindfulness and Self-compassion in Educator Stress. Mindfulness 10, 1692–1702 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-019-01183-x

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