Eastern mindfulness, psychological capital and leaders’ mental health: A multi-sample effects study

Abstract or Summary

Depression, anxiety and stress are antithetical to well-being and flourishing. Currently organizational leaders are under increasing pressure due to global economic uncertainty and resultant organizational dynamics (Hannah, Woolfolk & Lord, 2009). Negotiating these dynamics, and the many other challenges of the complicated business world, presents acute and chronic stressors that can have negative consequences on leaders’ mental health (e.g. Andrea, Bultmann, van Amelsvoort, & Kant, 2009). Eastern mindfulness may be an important factor inoculating leaders from stress and its associated consequences on mental health. It has been characterized as a state of heightened awareness of the present, with a non-judgemental and open orientation (Brown & Ryan, 2003). The concept of Eastern mindfulness is a core aspect of Buddhist teaching (Brown & Ryan, 2003; Weick & Putnam, 2006), but recently has been incorporated extensively into secular therapies and psychological research (Baer, 2003).