Comparing the Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Stress Inoculation Training on Organizational Vitality among Firefighters in Hormozgan Province
Keywords:
Mindfulness, based stress reduction, stress immunization, organizational vitalityAbstract
Introduction and Aim: Firefighters are continuously exposed to emergencies and stressful incidents that may adversely affect their psychological well-being, organizational vitality, and occupational functioning. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and stress inoculation training (SIT) in improving organizational vitality among firefighters in Hormozgan Province.
Methodology: This quasi-experimental study employed a pretest-posttest design with a control group and a two-month follow-up. The statistical population consisted of firefighters working in Hormozgan Province, from whom 45 operational personnel exposed to stressful incidents were purposively selected and then randomly assigned to three groups of 15 participants: MBSR, SIT, and control. The first experimental group received an eight-session MBSR intervention, whereas the second experimental group received a ten-session SIT intervention; the control group received no intervention. Organizational vitality was assessed at pretest, posttest, and follow-up using the Organizational Vitality Questionnaire developed by Musa et al. (2020). Data were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance and Bonferroni post hoc comparisons in SPSS version 21.
Findings: Mixed repeated-measures ANOVA demonstrated a significant main effect of time on organizational vitality (F(2,84)=13.983, p<0.001, ηp²=0.250). The time×group interaction was also significant (F(4,84)=5.047, p=0.001, ηp²=0.194), indicating that changes in organizational vitality over time differed across the three groups. Furthermore, a significant main effect of group was found (F(2,42)=23.092, p<0.001, ηp²=0.524). Bonferroni comparisons indicated that both MBSR and SIT produced significantly greater improvements in organizational vitality than the control condition. Moreover, MBSR was significantly more effective than SIT (p=0.035). No significant difference was observed between posttest and follow-up scores (p=1.000), indicating maintenance of the intervention effects during the follow-up period.
Conclusion: Both MBSR and SIT were effective in enhancing organizational vitality among firefighters. However, the greater and sustained effectiveness of MBSR suggests that it may constitute a more advantageous psychological intervention for promoting organizational vitality among personnel working in highly stressful occupational environments.
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