A systematic review of cognitive behavioral and mindfulness-based interventions for white-collar worker mental well-being in business environments

There is a need to better understand what works, for whom, and in what circumstances, in the context of workplace mental well-being. Among the various interventions used within business settings for employee mental well-being, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness are two of the most studied empirically. To-date, there have been no systematic reviews of this specific literature, meaning we presently lack clarity with regard to overall findings and reliability. The purpose of this paper is to provide a refined summary of the interventions, measures, and outcomes, to inform future research and support decision making within corporate organizations. A search of APAPsycArticles, APAPsycINFO, MEDLINE, and Scopus databases from the start of records to June 2024, supplemented by reference list reviews and Google Scholar searches, retrieved 16,018 papers. English language experimental studies of CBT and/or mindfulness interventions for white-collar private sector employees were eligible. Following duplicate removal and title and abstract reviews, 99 manuscripts were read in full, with 37 papers selected. Seventeen studies delivered CBT and 20 delivered mindfulness. There were 19 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), 8 controlled clinical trials, and 7 single cohort trials. Interventions were delivered in-person, online and via telephone. Both CBT and mindfulness were associated with improvements in employee mental well-being, with the evidence for mindfulness more robust. Online interventions typically saw higher rates of participant attrition. We conclude that both CBT and mindfulness can improve mental well-being among private sector white-collar employees. However, this finding is not unequivocal. More RCTs would enhance the literature.