Awareness training for unemployed people and for welfare professionals

Background: Unemployment often implies several psychological issues, including hopelessness and low self-esteem. These issues may contribute to maintain the current unemployed status. Objectives: In this study we present the effects of a mindfulness- based stress reduction treatment for unemployed people and welfare professionals, aimed to improve resilience and quality of life. Methods: We assessed both unemployed people and welfare professionals for psychological outcomes at both pre- and post-treatment. Results: After treatment, participants reported higher quality of life and higher levels of well-being, together with better resilience and coping style, compared to pre- test values. Conclusions: Meditation training can effectively improve well-being and resilience of unemployed people and welfare professionals.