Occupational stress and burnout adversely impacts mental health care staff well-being and patient outcomes. Mindfulness training reduces staff stress and may improve patient care. However, few studies explore mental health setting implementation. This qualitative study used focus groups to evaluate stakeholders' perceptions of organizational factors affecting implementation of an adapted version of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) for staff on adolescent mental health units. Common facilitators included leadership securing buy-in with staff, allocating staff time to participate, and quiet space for training and practice. Other facilitators were past staff knowledge of mindfulness, local champions, and acculturating staff with mindfulness through a non-mandatory training attendance policy. Common barriers were limited staff time to attend training sessions and insufficient training coverage for some staff. Staff also reported improved focus when interacting with adolescents and improved social cohesion on the units. We conclude that a mindfulness-based program for reducing occupational stress can be successfully implemented on adolescent mental health units. Implementation appeared to change the social context of the units, including staff and patient interactions. More broadly, our findings highlight the importance of environmental factors in shaping attitudes, diffusion of innovation, and acculturation of wellness program implementations.

Mindfulness can be defined as paying attention to one's inner and outer experiences in a non-judgmental manner from moment to moment (Kabat-Zinn, 2003). This Psychiatry Issue Brief discusses mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), a curriculum developed at the University of Massachusetts Medical School to help medical patients incorporate mindfulness practice into their daily lives to help them cope with stress, chronic pain, and other chronic medical conditions. Information on current research on mindfulness and recommendations for a mindfulness-based approach to wellness are included. A Spanish translation of this publication is available for download.