The Impact of Mindfulness on Stress Reduction among Female Teachers in Mangalore

Objective: The aim of the current study was investigating the efficacy of a Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)-informed Mindfulness intervention (DBT-MI) in reducing stress in schoolteachers. It is well accepted that teaching is a high-stress profession, and individuals who experience this may become burned out and perform poorly. This study aims to contribute with empirical evidence about the impact that mindfulness exerts on teacher well-being. Materials and Methods: A quasi-experimental, non-equivalent control group design was adopted. The sample consisted of 30 female teachers in the age range of 25 to 45 working in state syllabus schools in Mangalore for the study. Teachers were classified as low and high stress based on their Teacher Stress Inventory scores developed by Michael J. Fimian& Fastenau, P. S. (1990).The TSI assesses teacher stress across 10 dimensions. Those in the experimental group (n=15) took a 4-week, DBT-informed mindfulness intervention in addition to treatment as usual, whereas participants in the control group (n=15) did not take any intervention. Pre-test and post-test Analyses were carried out. Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Mann-Whitney U test were performed to analyse the data. Results: The experimental group showed a significant decrease in stress scores after intervention (p <0.001), and there was no significant change in stress scores in the control group (p=1.000) the post-test difference between the experimental and control groups was statistically significant. Conclusion: This research concludes that mindfulness (DBT) training has a stress-reducing effect among teachers. Results highlight the importance of structured psychological interventions to improve teacher mental health and professional functioning.