Can Direct Service Providers Change Their Ability to Attend in The Present Moment with Mindfulness Training in Virtual Reality?

Abstract

Occupational burnout can severely impact various aspects of life, with Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) direct service professionals (DSPs) experiencing high turnover rates, as shown by the Behavioral Health Center of Excellence® (BHCOE®). However, research on burnout specifically among ABA DSPs is limited, as is the use of mindfulness-based interventions aimed at alleviating it. This study sought to introduce mindfulness-based interventions through virtual reality (VR) and measure burnout levels, attentiveness and present-moment awareness. Participants used the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the Sustained Attention to Response Test (SART) as pre- and post-test measures, defining burnout through inattentive behavior. After learning to use VR headsets, participants completed baseline sessions, each followed by a VR Attentiveness Test (AT) with 20 questions assessing their attention. If participants scored 70% or below across three consecutive sessions, they began a mindfulness-based intervention, following a VR-adapted curriculum by Holland et al. (2021) under researcher guidance. This intervention continued until participants reached 80% or higher on attentiveness tests across three consecutive sessions. Upon achieving this criterion, they completed the post-test and an exit survey. To ensure interobserver agreement and procedural fidelity, at least 33% of all baseline and intervention sessions were observed in VR by the researchers. Findings showed a reduction in emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, alongside improvements in attentiveness, suggesting that VR mindfulness interventions may help mitigate burnout in ABA DSPs. This study highlights the potential of VR mindfulness interventions to reduce burnout in ABA DSPs, offering an innovative approach to support mental health in high-turnover professions. Key words: Burnout, direct service professionals, virtual reality, mindfulness, attention, job satisfaction.