Mindfulness Training Reduces PTSD Symptoms and Improves Stress-Related Health Outcomes in Police Officers

Grupe, Dan; McGehee, Chad; Smith, Chris; Francis, Andrew D; Mumford, Jeanette A.; Davidson, Richard J.

doi:10.1007/s11896-019-09351-4

Cited by 46 publications

(65 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…In our study, practicing and doing homework varied between participants but were on average at least reasonable during the training, and the vast majority intended continuing meditation practices after post-test. Moreover, our findings are in line with those of Grupe et al (2019) who also found significant effects of mindfulness intervention at follow-up measurement, 5 months after the intervention. Our finding that improvements at follow-up seem somewhat larger than at post-test could be due to more experience and practice in mindfulness.…”

Section: Effects Of the Mindfulness-based Interventionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…A few studies examined longer term effects. Grupe et al (2019) examined the effects of an 8-week mindfulness training, based on MBSR and MBRT, in 30 law enforcement officers in the USA at pre-and post-test and follow-up (5 months after the training). At post-test and follow-up, relative to pre-test, burnout symptoms, sleep quality, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms were improved.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Effects of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Police Officers

et al. 2021

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Objectives Although the effectiveness of mindfulness-based intervention for various populations is well-documented, research examining these effects for police officers is limited. This study aimed to increase knowledge on (1) the effects of a mindfulness-based intervention in police officers and (2) potential mechanisms of change by relating changes in facets of mindful awareness to changes in stress. Methods In the present study, we investigated the effects of a 6-session group-based mindfulness-based intervention in police officers (n = 82) on self-report measures, using a quasi-experimental design consisting of a within-group 6-week baseline period; pre-test, 6-week intervention; and post-test, 6-week follow-up. Multilevel analyses were used to test intervention effects. Using structural equation modeling, we analyzed whether changes in facets of mindfulness were associated with changes in various types of stress. Results After the intervention, police officers significantly and substantially improved on stress (primary outcome), facets of mindful awareness (explanatory variables), and related secondary outcomes including somatic complaints, sleep disturbances, positive affect, happiness, and work ability, while in baseline period, outcome measures did not change. Effects remained significant or improved further during the follow-up period. Further, we found that increases in particularly the facets of mindful awareness of acting with awareness and non-judging were associated with reductions in stress. Conclusions Mindfulness-based intervention appears beneficial for police officers. Further, increases in both attention and acceptance skills such as acting with awareness and non-judging seem to be most important in explaining reductions of stress in police officers.

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Section: Effects Of the Mindfulness-based Interventionsupporting

confidence: 92%

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confidence: 99%

Effects of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Police Officers

et al. 2021

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“…Commonly conceptualized as providing "stress reduction" techniques, the embodied practices and didactic knowledge contained within MBIs enhance self-awareness and self-regulation (Vago and Silbersweig, 2012), deepen one's sense of interconnection and compassion (Hutcherson et al, 2008;Kang et al, 2014), and encourage exploration and acceptance of challenging emotions (Thompson and Waltz, 2010;Lindsay and Creswell, 2017) as an alternative to culturally engrained patterns of avoidance and emotional control (Pogrebin and Poole, 1995;Karaffa and Tochkov, 2013). Two pilot studies demonstrated the acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary efficacy of MBIs adapted for police personnel (Christopher et al, 2016;Grupe et al, 2021a), and three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have demonstrated benefits of mindfulness training relative to waitlist control (WLC) for self-reported stress, burnout, mindfulness, alcohol use, negative affect, and global health (Christopher et al, 2018;Krick and Felfe, 2019;Trombka et al, 2021). Results for anxiety and depression symptoms have been mixed, which could partially be attributable to differences in sample characteristics: a study of primarily male police officers in the U.S. Northwest found no differences (Christopher et al, 2018), whereas a study of primarily female officers in Brazil found sizable and durable reductions in anxiety and depression symptoms (Trombka et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

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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“…For example, after completing different mindfulness-based programmes, medical professionals working in other stressful environments reported their positive effects on stress, burnout, anxiety, subjective well-being, awareness, compassion for themselves and others and physical health (Burton, Burgess, Dean, Koutsopoulou and Hugh-Jones, 2017;Irving, Dobkin and Park, 2009;Klein, Taieb, Xavier, Baubet and Reyre, 2020;Morgan, Simpson and Smith, 2015;Raab, 2014;Regehr, Glancy, Pitts and LeBlanc, 2014;Ruiz-Fernández, Ortíz-Amo, Ortega-Galán, Ibáñez-Masero, Rodríguez-Salvador and Ramos-Pichardo, 2020). Similar effects have also been observed in mental health professionals (Aggs and Bambling, 2010;Christopher, Chrisman, Trotter-Mathison, Schure, Dahlen and Christopher, 2011;de Zoysa, Ruths, Walsh and Hutton, 2014;Dobie, Tucker, Ferrari and Rogers, 2016;Lam, Sterling and Margines, 2015;Rudaz, Twohig, Ong and Levin, 2017;Ruths, de Zoysa, Frearson, Hutton, Williams and Walsh, 2013;Suyi, Meredith and Khan, 2017), and police officers (Christopher et al, 2016;Eddy, Bergman, Kaplan, Goerling and Christopher, 2019;Grupe, McGehee, Smith, Francis, Mumford and Davidson, 2019;Márquez, Galiana, Oliver and Sansó, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 65%

Primjena kognitivne terapije usredotočene svjesnosti usmjerene na stres sa službenicima zatvorskog sustava

Bagarić¹,

Markanović²

2021

Kriminol. soc. integr. (Online)

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Službenici zatvorskog sustava izloženi su visokim razinama stresa, što dugoročno može rezultirati razvojem psihičkih smetnji i smanjenom radnom učinkovitošću. Stoga je važno razvijati preventivne programe te istraživati njihovu učinkovitost, ali i prihvatljivost službenicima jer je riječ o populaciji koja nerado priznaje poteškoće. Programi zasnovani na usredotočenoj svjesnosti (engl. mindfulness) pokazali su se korisnima u radu s različitim populacijama korisnika. Ciljevi ovog rada bili su: istražiti prihvatljivost, prikladnost, kvalitetu, obuhvat ciljne skupine te ishode primjene tečaja kognitivne terapije usredotočene svjesnosti usmjerene na stres sa zatvorskim službenicima. Službenici (N = 36) iz četiriju kaznenih tijela u Hrvatskoj sudjelovali su na osam dvosatnih grupnih radionica tijekom dva mjeseca. Prije tečaja, neposredno nakon tečaja te dva mjeseca nakon tečaja primijenjeni su upitnici koji mjere dimenzije mindfulnessa, psihopatološka odstupanja te stres i sagorijevanje. Nakon završetka tečaja ispitani su različiti aspekti kvalitete implementacije tečaja. Rezultati su pokazali da su službenici bili visoko uključeni u tečaj, zadovoljni tečajem i da su ga procjenjivali korisnim. Nakon završetka tečaja izvještavali su da više opažaju te manje prosuđuju i automatski reagiraju na svoja iskustva (dimenzije mindfulnessa), o manje problema i simptoma, većoj dobrobiti i funkcioniranju te manjim razinama stresa i sagorijevanja. Sve promjene održale su se i u naknadnom praćenju.

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Mindfulness Training Reduces PTSD Symptoms and Improves Stress-Related Health Outcomes in Police Officers

Cited by 46 publications

References 34 publications

Effects of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Police Officers

Effects of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Police Officers

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

Primjena kognitivne terapije usredotočene svjesnosti usmjerene na stres sa službenicima zatvorskog sustava

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