Keeping Your Guard Up: Hypervigilance Among Urban Residents Affected By Community And Police Violence

Smith, Nichole A.; Voisin, Dexter R.; Yang, Joyce P.; Tung, Elizabeth L.

doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2019.00560

Cited by 43 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Hypervigilance has been primarily studied in conjunction with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in military veterans (e.g., Kimble et al, 2013; Whealin et al, 2020) and rarely in nonclinical or community samples (for exceptions see Kimble et al, 2014; Smith et al, 2019). In our search for published, peer-reviewed empirical literature, we did not find any study that focused on LGBTQ-specific hypervigilance as an excessive form of vigilance.…”

Section: Hypervigilance In Lgbtq Individualsmentioning

confidence: 99%

LGBTQ individuals’ lived experiences of hypervigilance.

Rostosky

Richardson

McCurry

et al. 2022

Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity

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Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals are at risk for poorer health outcomes in part because of stigma, discrimination, victimization, and resulting trauma and stress. Stigmarelated stress can lead to hypervigilance, or a chronic and pervasive state of alertness and readiness to respond to potential threats in the environment. The current study is one of the first to explore LGBTQidentified individuals' lived experiences of hypervigilance. In a brief online format, participants (N = 245) completed demographic items and were asked to describe their experiences of hypervigilance and its impact on their lives. Participants reported over 30 negative emotions that accompanied hypervigilance; anxiety, fear, and exhaustion were the most common. Negative emotional reactions occurred in public and private settings and with family, coworkers, strangers, and others perceived to be prejudiced. Participants self-monitored and socially withdrew in efforts to protect themselves from stress and risk of harm. Service providers and researchers should assess hypervigilance in LGBTQ individuals and examine the impact on health and well-being while working to combat stigma and advocate for protective and equitable social policies. Public Significance StatementLesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals described their lived experience of hypervigilance, a chronic and pervasive stress response to direct and indirect experiences of stigma and discrimination.They were hypervigilant for potential harm as they interacted in public and private and when interacting with certain family members, coworkers, community members, and strangers they perceived to be prejudiced against LGBTQ people. Hypervigilance was often accompanied by negative emotions and social avoidance/isolation.

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Section: Hypervigilance In Lgbtq Individualsmentioning

confidence: 99%

LGBTQ individuals’ lived experiences of hypervigilance.

Rostosky

Richardson

McCurry

et al. 2022

Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…While correlational evidence and laboratory studies provide theoretical support for this assumption (Kop et al, 1999;Rajaratnam et al, 2011;Ma et al, 2013;Andersen and Gustafsberg, 2016;Burke, 2020), without direct empirical evidence we cannot claim any community benefits for this training. Previous studies with police have shown reductions in self-reported anger and aggression following mindfulness training (Christopher et al, 2016(Christopher et al, , 2018; more compelling evidence for community benefits may involve data collected using objective metrics (e.g., administrative or body camera data on citizen interactions or use of force; Voigt et al, 2017;Wood et al, 2020), community members' reports on interactions with police officers, or the direct measurement of stress and health outcomes from community members (Geller et al, 2014;Smith et al, 2019;Browning et al, 2021;Muentner et al, 2021).…”

Section: Limitations and Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Mindfulness Training on Police Officer Stress, Mental Health, and Salivary Cortisol Levels

Grupe

Stoller

Alonso³

et al. 2021

Front. Psychol.

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Unaddressed occupational stress and trauma contribute to elevated rates of mental illness and suicide in policing, and to violent and aggressive behavior that disproportionately impacts communities of color. Emerging evidence suggests mindfulness training with police may reduce stress and aggression and improve mental health, but there is limited evidence for changes in biological outcomes or the lasting benefits of mindfulness training. We conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of 114 police officers from three Midwestern U.S. law enforcement agencies. We assessed stress-related physical and mental health symptoms, blood-based inflammatory markers, and hair and salivary cortisol. Participants were then randomized to an 8-week mindfulness intervention or waitlist control (WLC), and the same assessments were repeated post-intervention and at 3-month follow-up. Relative to waitlist control, the mindfulness group had greater improvements in psychological distress, mental health symptoms, and sleep quality post-training, gains that were maintained at 3-month follow-up. Intervention participants also had a significantly lower cortisol awakening response (CAR) at 3-month follow-up relative to waitlist control. Contrary to hypotheses, there were no intervention effects on hair cortisol, diurnal cortisol slope, or inflammatory markers. In summary, an 8-week mindfulness intervention for police officers led to self-reported improvements in distress, mental health, and sleep, and a lower CAR. These benefits persisted (or emerged) at 3-month follow-up, suggesting that this training may buffer against the long-term consequences of chronic stress. Future research should assess the persistence of these benefits over a longer period while expanding the scope of outcomes to consider the broader community of mindfulness training for police.Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov#NCT03488875.

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“…Yet another example involves empiric data from 504 adults in Chicago, suggesting Black individuals are significantly more likely than White to experience police violence, which additionally predicts hypervigilance—a state of heightened sensitivity to one's surroundings. High levels of hypervigilance were also associated with an increase in systolic blood pressure by 8.6 mm Hg, a magnitude that correlates with nearly 50% higher risk in cardiovascular events in the Framingham Heart Study 5 . Taken together, these prior findings raise concern that—particularly for racialized minorities—negative experiences in institutional settings likely reinforce the notion that institutions in general are not intended for them and cannot be trusted, and that they need to be hypervigilant or “on‐guard” in these surroundings.…”

Section: The Role Of Race In Interpersonal and Institutional Trustmentioning

confidence: 89%

Policing, health care, and institutional racism: Connecting history and heuristics

Glasser

Tung

Peek

2021

Health Services Research

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Keeping Your Guard Up: Hypervigilance Among Urban Residents Affected By Community And Police Violence

Cited by 43 publications

References 25 publications

LGBTQ individuals’ lived experiences of hypervigilance.

LGBTQ individuals’ lived experiences of hypervigilance.

The Impact of Mindfulness Training on Police Officer Stress, Mental Health, and Salivary Cortisol Levels

Policing, health care, and institutional racism: Connecting history and heuristics

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