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Mindfulness-based resilience training for aggression, stress and health in law enforcement officers: study protocol for a multisite, randomized, single-blind clinical feasibility trial.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Law enforcement officers (LEOs) are exposed to significant stressors, elevating their risk for aggression and excessive use of force, as well as mental health consequences, including post-traumatic stress disorder, burnout, alcohol misuse, depression, and suicide. Mindfulness training is a promising approach with high-stress populations that has been shown effective for increasing resilience and improving negative mental health outcomes common among LEOs. METHOD:Implemented at two sites, the proposed study is designed to establish optimal protocols and procedures for a future full-scale, multisite trial assessing effects of mindfulness-based resilience training versus an attention control (stress management education) and a no-intervention control on physiological, behavioral, and psychological outcomes. To prepare for this future clinical trial, the current study is designed to: enhance efficiency of recruitment, engagement, and retention; optimize laboratory, assessment, and data management procedures; optimize intervention training and ensure fidelity to intervention protocols; and assess participant experience and optimize outcome measures across two sites. Herein, we describe the protocol and methodology of this multisite, randomized, single-blind clinical feasibility trial. DISCUSSION:The long-term objective of this line of research is to develop an intervention that will reduce violence and increase resilience and mental health among LEOs, as well as yield significant benefits for the communities and residents they serve. TRIAL REGISTRATION:ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03784846. Registered on 24 December 2018.

SUBMITTER: Christopher M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7048059 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Mindfulness-based resilience training for aggression, stress and health in law enforcement officers: study protocol for a multisite, randomized, single-blind clinical feasibility trial.

Christopher Michael M Bowen Sarah S Witkiewitz Katie K

Trials 20200228 1

<h4>Background</h4>Law enforcement officers (LEOs) are exposed to significant stressors, elevating their risk for aggression and excessive use of force, as well as mental health consequences, including post-traumatic stress disorder, burnout, alcohol misuse, depression, and suicide. Mindfulness training is a promising approach with high-stress populations that has been shown effective for increasing resilience and improving negative mental health outcomes common among LEOs.<h4>Method</h4>Impleme ...[more]

PMID: 32111233

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Project description:ObjectivesTo test the magnitude of the relationship between self-reported stressor exposure and perceived stress in police officers using a novel measure of daily work events, and whether dispositional mindfulness and resilience moderate this relationship.MethodsA total of 114 law enforcement officers from a mid-sized Midwestern US city completed daily logs of job stressors and associated perceived stress, as well as additional self-report measures of perceived stress, trait mindfulness and resilience, and demographics and work information. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to cluster job stressors into a smaller number of components in a data-driven manner. Linear mixed-effects models were used to test the relationship between stressor exposure and perceived stress for each component, and the moderation of this relationship by trait mindfulness and resilience.ResultsThe PCA categorized stressor exposure into three components: (1) acute or traumatic line-of-duty stressors, (2) routine daily stressors, and (3) interpersonal stressors. Results of mixed models showed robust positive relationships between self-reported stressor exposure and corresponding perceived stress across all 3 components. Dispositional mindfulness (but not resilience) moderated the association between stressor exposure and perceived stress for routine stressors, such that individuals with higher dispositional mindfulness showed a relatively attenuated relationship between exposure to routine daily stressors and resulting perceived stress.ConclusionsPolice officers high in dispositional mindfulness may experience daily routine stressors as less stressful, which can reduce the accumulation of general stress in the long term and which could help buffer against negative health outcomes associated with perceived stress.Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03488875.Supplementary informationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12671-021-01707-4.

Project description:ObjectiveTo assess the association between risk of sudden cardiac death and stressful law enforcement duties compared with routine/non-emergency duties.DesignCase distribution study (case series with survey information on referent exposures).SettingUnited States law enforcement.ParticipantsSummaries of deaths of over 4500 US police officers provided by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund and the Officer Down Memorial Page from 1984 to 2010.Main outcome measuresObserved and expected sudden cardiac death counts and relative risks for sudden cardiac death events during specific strenuous duties versus routine/non-emergency activities. Independent estimates of the proportion of time that police officers spend across various law enforcement duties obtained from surveys of police chiefs and front line officers. Impact of varying exposure assessments, covariates, and missing cases in sensitivity and stability analyses.Results441 sudden cardiac deaths were observed during the study period. Sudden cardiac death was associated with restraints/altercations (25%, n=108), physical training (20%, n=88), pursuits of suspects (12%, n=53), medical/rescue operations (8%, n=34), routine duties (23%, n=101), and other activities (11%, n=57). Compared with routine/non-emergency activities, the risk of sudden cardiac death was 34-69 times higher during restraints/altercations, 32-51 times higher during pursuits, 20-23 times higher during physical training, and 6-9 times higher during medical/rescue operations. Results were robust to all sensitivity and stability analyses.ConclusionsStressful law enforcement duties are associated with a risk of sudden cardiac death that is markedly higher than the risk during routine/non-emergency duties. Restraints/altercations and pursuits are associated with the greatest risk. Our findings have public health implications and suggest that primary and secondary cardiovascular prevention efforts are needed among law enforcement officers.

Dataset Information

Mindfulness-based resilience training for aggression, stress and health in law enforcement officers: study protocol for a multisite, randomized, single-blind clinical feasibility trial.

Publications

Mindfulness-based resilience training for aggression, stress and health in law enforcement officers: study protocol for a multisite, randomized, single-blind clinical feasibility trial.

Similar Datasets

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