Cited by 174Mindfulness and Compassion InterventionsStress and Burnout ResearchPosttraumatic Stress Disorder Research

Mindfulness-based resilience training to reduce health risk, stress reactivity, and aggression among law enforcement officers: A feasibility and preliminary efficacy trial

Open access
Christopher, Michael S., Hunsinger, Matthew, Goerling, Lt. Richard J., Bowen, Sarah, Rogers, Brant S., Gross, Cynthia R., Dapolonia, Eli, Pruessner, Jens C.·2018·Psychiatry Research

Abstract

The primary objective of this study was to assess feasibility and gather preliminary outcome data on Mindfulness-Based Resilience Training (MBRT) for law enforcement officers. Participants (n = 61) were randomized to either an 8-week MBRT course or a no intervention control group. Self-report and physiological data were collected at baseline, post-training, and three months following intervention completion. Attendance, adherence, post-training participant feedback, and interventionist fidelity to protocol all demonstrated feasibility of MBRT for law enforcement officers. Compared to no intervention controls, MBRT participants experienced greater reductions in salivary cortisol, self-reported aggression, organizational stress, burnout, sleep disturbance, and reported increases in psychological flexibility and non-reactivity at post-training; however, group differences were not maintained at three-month follow-up. This initial randomized trial suggests MBRT is a feasible intervention. Outcome data suggest MBRT targets key physiological, psychological, and health risk factors in law enforcement officers, consistent with the potential to improve officer health and public safety. However, follow-up training or "booster" sessions may be needed to maintain training gains. A fully powered longitudinal randomized trial is warranted.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.03.059

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  • Some studies on mindfulness among PSP have yielded mixed results, with only some participants reporting improvements.

    “Some studies on mindfulness among PSP have yielded mixed results, with only some participants reporting improvements [21].”

    From Web-Based Mindfulness Meditation as an Adjunct to Internet-Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Public Safety Personnel: Mixed Methods Feasibility Evaluation Study (2024) · cites this paper as [21]

    The Results (Psychological Health and Risk; page not provided) report improvements on some measures but no significant effects on several others. The study reports group-level outcomes, not that only some individual participants reported improvements. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • In terms of PSP, mindfulness-based interventions have been associated with reductions in stress, insomnia, burnout, anger, anxiety, and depression.

    “In terms of PSP, mindfulness-based interventions have been associated with reductions in stress, insomnia, burnout, anger, anxiety, and depression [20,21]; however, research has been limited to pilot or feasibility studies, police populations, and in-person class delivery style [3,22].”

    From Web-Based Mindfulness Meditation as an Adjunct to Internet-Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Public Safety Personnel: Mixed Methods Feasibility Evaluation Study (2024) · cites this paper as [21]

    The Results (Psychological Health and Risk; page unavailable) report significant improvements in organizational stress and burnout among officers receiving mindfulness-based resilience training, with only a trend-level improvement in sleep disturbance—not a demonstrated reduction in insomnia. The Results (Aggression and Anger; page unavailable) report reduced aggression but no significant effect on anger; the study also found no significant effects on anxiety or depression. (LLM, conf=0.92)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Relative to waitlist control, MBI participants experienced greater reductions in salivary cortisol (AUCi) at post-training.

    “findings from a recent RCT indicate that relative to waitlist control, MBI participants experienced greater reductions in salivary cortisol (AUCi), self-reported aggression, burnout, alcohol use, sleep disturbance, and increases in psychological flexibility and non-reactivity at post-training [39].”

    From Study protocol of a multicenter randomized controlled trial of mindfulness training to reduce burnout and promote quality of life in police officers: The POLICE study (2018) · cites this paper as [39]

    The Results (Cortisol Awakening Response) report lower AUCi for MBRT than waitlist participants on post-training sampling day three, and a reduction in overall AUCi among men. The claim omits those qualifications: the group-by-time interaction for overall AUCi was not significant in the full sample. (LLM, conf=0.90)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Relative to waitlist control, MBI participants experienced greater reductions in alcohol use at post-training.

    “findings from a recent RCT indicate that relative to waitlist control, MBI participants experienced greater reductions in salivary cortisol (AUCi), self-reported aggression, burnout, alcohol use, sleep disturbance, and increases in psychological flexibility and non-reactivity at post-training [39].”

    From Study protocol of a multicenter randomized controlled trial of mindfulness training to reduce burnout and promote quality of life in police officers: The POLICE study (2018) · cites this paper as [39]

    The Results section (Psychological Health and Risk; page unavailable) reports a significant group-by-time interaction for alcohol use. However, its planned follow-up analysis found that the pre-to-post-training effect for MBRT relative to the control group was not statistically significant (p = .12), so the claim presents the comparative reduction more definitively than the paper does. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Relative to waitlist control, MBI participants experienced greater reductions in sleep disturbance at post-training.

    “findings from a recent RCT indicate that relative to waitlist control, MBI participants experienced greater reductions in salivary cortisol (AUCi), self-reported aggression, burnout, alcohol use, sleep disturbance, and increases in psychological flexibility and non-reactivity at post-training [39].”

    From Study protocol of a multicenter randomized controlled trial of mindfulness training to reduce burnout and promote quality of life in police officers: The POLICE study (2018) · cites this paper as [39]

    The Results (Psychological Health and Risk) report a greater post-training improvement in sleep disturbance for MBRT participants relative to the comparison group, but it reached only trend-level significance (p = .08). The Discussion likewise describes the relative improvement with that qualification, which the citing sentence omits. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Cites

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4 of the 156 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 4

  1. Clark DW, White EK, Violanti J, 2012 Law enforcement suicide: Current knowledge and future directions. The Police Chief 79 (5), 48– 51.
  2. Larned JG, 2010 Understanding police suicide. Forensic Examiner 19 (3), 64.
  3. Murphy R, 1994 The effects of mindfulness meditation versus progressive muscle relaxation training on stress egocentrism anger and impulsiveness among inmates Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY.
  4. Sack III RE, 2009 Rethinking use of force: A correlational study of burnout and aggression in patrol officers Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Alliant International University, Fresno.

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Authors
Christopher, M. S., Hunsinger, M., Goerling, L. R. J., Bowen, S., Rogers, B. S., Gross, C. R., Dapolonia, E., & Pruessner, J. C.
Affiliations
  • Pacific University Oregon (US)
  • University of Minnesota (US)
  • McGill University (CA)
Corresponding author
Christopher, Michael S.
Venue
Psychiatry Research
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2018-06
Volume
264
Pages
104-115
ISSN
0165-1781 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2792475185
Cited by
173
References
156
Citations by year
2026: 13 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 25 · 2022: 24 · 2021: 31 · 2020: 30 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 1
FWCI
21.45
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Psychiatry Research (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • KOPS (University of Konstanz) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (R21AT008854)
  • Canadian Institutes of Health Research
  • Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
  • National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Stress and Burnout Research
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
Keywords
law enforcement officers, stress reactivity, aggression, burnout, sleep disorders, salivary cortisol, psychological flexibility, intervention feasibility, booster sessions, occupational health
MeSH terms
Occupational Stress, Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Aggression, Burnout, Professional, Feasibility Studies, Female, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Male, Occupational Diseases, Risk Factors, Saliva, Sleep Wake Disorders, Police, Treatment Outcome, Risk Reduction Behavior, Resilience, Psychological, Mindfulness

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