Why Your Participation Matters
Burnout is driving skilled professionals out of the cybersecurity field at an alarming rate. By sharing your experience in a brief, confidential survey, you can contribute to research that may change how the industry supports its workforce.
The Stakes
The cybersecurity field is facing a workforce crisis. Nearly half of cybersecurity professionals report severe work-related stress and burnout, and a comparable proportion indicate an intention to leave their current positions — or the field entirely. Organizations face a critical constraint in recruiting and retaining qualified personnel, and the departure of experienced professionals is widening an already severe skills gap.
Despite the scale of this challenge, most research to date has focused on external stressors — workload, role ambiguity, and organizational culture — rather than the internal psychological resources that may protect against burnout. This study takes a different approach by examining whether trait mindfulness, a stable individual capacity for present-moment awareness, is associated with higher intrinsic motivation among cybersecurity professionals. Understanding these associations could unlock new, evidence-based strategies for supporting the people who defend our digital infrastructure.
Six Reasons to Participate
No empirical study has examined how specific facets of trait mindfulness relate to intrinsic motivation among cybersecurity professionals. Your responses help generate first-of-its-kind evidence for the field.
Cybersecurity professionals are chronically underrepresented in workplace psychology research. Participation ensures the unique demands and experiences of cybersecurity work are documented in the academic literature.
Burnout is driving skilled professionals out of the field, worsening workforce shortages and weakening organizational security. Findings from this study could inform targeted interventions designed to reduce burnout and improve retention.
By examining five distinct facets of trait mindfulness rather than treating it as a single construct, this study provides the granular analysis needed to understand which specific dimensions matter most in high-stress cybersecurity environments.
Results could guide the development of mindfulness-based workplace programs tailored to the specific facets most relevant to sustaining motivation and well-being among cybersecurity teams — moving beyond one-size-fits-all approaches.
Many cybersecurity professionals suffer in silence — 60% are unlikely to report burnout symptoms. Your confidential participation gives voice to shared challenges and contributes to solutions that benefit the entire community.
What It Takes
The entire survey — including consent, the FFMQ-15, the MWMS, and demographics — takes approximately 15 minutes to complete.
Responses are confidential. No sensitive personal identifiers are collected through the survey.
Complete the survey from anywhere, on any device. There are no in-person requirements and no follow-up obligations.
A Personal Note
The cybersecurity field has extraordinary people doing critical work under enormous pressure. Yet the support structures available to these professionals often fail to address the psychological dimensions of occupational stress. Previous research has focused primarily on external job stressors, rather than examining the internal mechanisms — like trait mindfulness and intrinsic motivation — that may help cybersecurity professionals sustain their well-being and engagement over time.
This doctoral study represents an opportunity to shift that focus. By examining which specific facets of mindfulness are most closely tied to intrinsic motivation, the findings could lead to targeted, evidence-based interventions — not generic wellness programs, but strategies rooted in what the research reveals about the cybersecurity workforce specifically.
Your participation, even 15 minutes of your time, helps make that possible.
Understanding these associations may inform interventions that mitigate burnout and support employee retention in the cybersecurity field.
If you are a cybersecurity professional in the Eastern United States with 10 years or fewer of experience, your participation can help shape the future of workforce well-being in cybersecurity.