There is no conflict of interest.
Highlights
- The study's objective was to examine the impact of the mindfulness training on health outcomes.
- The study used an interrupted time series design to compare stress-related physical and mental health outcomes and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among law enforcement officers. Using pre-training and post-training assessments, the authors conducted statistical models to compare the outcomes of participants before and after they participated in the mindfulness training.
- The study found a significant relationship between the mindfulness training and reductions in exhaustion, anxiety symptoms, total PTSD symptoms, re-experiencing PTSD symptoms, and negative affect. The study also found a significant relationship between the mindfulness training and improved sleep quality and psychological well-being.
- This study receives a low evidence rating. This means we are not confident that the estimated effects are attributable to the mindfulness training; other factors are likely to have contributed.
Intervention Examined
Features of the Intervention
The mindfulness training program for officers lasted 8 weeks and included 18 hours of instruction to support their well-being. Two instructors delivered curriculum based on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Resilience Training (MBRT). Classes took place at a police training facility and included definitions of mindfulness, stress, and emotions, along with scientific research, breathing exercises, body scans, mindful movement, and group discussions. The schedule was designed to fit around work commitments. Participants received recorded guided practices and were encouraged to practice six days a week, starting with nine minutes a day and gradually increasing to 20 minutes. They were also asked to keep a daily log of their formal and informal practices. The goal was to help officers incorporate mindfulness into both their professional and personal lives.
Features of the Study
The study used an interrupted time series design to compare stress-related health outcomes and PTSD symptoms among law enforcement officers before and after the mindfulness training. The sample included 30 participants from the Madison Police Department (MPD), recruited through emails, flyers, and meetings. To qualify, participants needed to have no previous experience with mindfulness-based stress reduction or significant meditation practice. The study included two cohorts: 15 participants in September 2016 and 15 in February 2017. The sample consisted of 53% women and 47% men, with the majority identifying as White (87%) and 17% percent identifying as Hispanic or Latinx. The average age of participants was 38.4 years. Job roles included sergeants, detectives, investigators, patrol officers, and non-patrol officers, with an average of 10.8 years of police experience.
The primary data sources were the pre-training and post-training assessments. Nurses gathered physical measurements of the participants, while the participants reported their own stress-related physical and mental health status, including PTSD symptoms. The pre-training assessments were conducted two weeks before the first class, and the post-training assessments were conducted three weeks after the last class and five months after the training. Outcomes included exhaustion, sleep quality, anxiety, PTSD, psychological well-being, negative affect, and organizational stress. The authors used statistical models to compare differences in outcomes before and after participation in the mindfulness training, considering both sex and years of policing.
Findings
Health and Safety
- The study found a significant relationship between the mindfulness training and decreases in participants' exhaustion, anxiety symptoms, re-experiencing PTSD symptoms, total PTSD symptoms, and negative affect over time.
- The study also found a significant relationship between the mindfulness training and increases in participants' sleep quality and psychological well-being over time.
- When examined by sex, the study found a significant relationship between the mindfulness training and greater decreases in organizational stress for men.
Considerations for Interpreting the Findings
The authors compared the outcomes of participants measured before and after they participated in the training. For these types of designs, the authors must observe outcomes for multiple periods before the intervention to rule out the possibility that participants had increasing or decreasing trends in the outcomes examined before enrollment in the program. That is, if participants who had improving stress-related physical and mental health tended to enroll in the program, we would anticipate further increases over time, even if they did not participate in the program. Without knowing the trends before program enrollment, we cannot rule this out. Therefore, the study receives a low causal evidence rating.
Causal Evidence Rating
Research Guidelines
Review Protocol: Living Systematic Annual Search and Review Protocol
Review Guidelines: Causal Evidence Guidelines