TY - JOUR
T1 - A multisite feasibility randomized clinical trial of mindfulness-based resilience training for aggression, stress, and health in law enforcement officers
AU - Christopher, Michael
AU - Bowen, Sarah
AU - Witkiewitz, Katie
AU - Grupe, Daniel
AU - Goerling, Richard
AU - Hunsinger, Matthew
AU - Oken, Barry
AU - Korecki, Tyrus
AU - Rosenbaum, Nils
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2024.
PY - 2024/12
Y1 - 2024/12
N2 - Background: Law enforcement officers (LEOs) are exposed to significant stressors that can impact their mental health, increasing risk of posttraumatic stress disorder, burnout, at-risk alcohol use, depression, and suicidality. Compromised LEO health can subsequently lead to aggression and excessive use of force. Mindfulness training is a promising approach for high-stress populations and has been shown to be effective in increasing resilience and improving mental health issues common among LEOs. Methods: This multi-site, randomized, single-blind clinical feasibility trial was intended to establish optimal protocols and procedures for a future full-scale, multi-site trial assessing effects of mindfulness-based resilience training (MBRT) versus an attention control (stress management education [SME]) and a no-intervention control, on physiological, attentional, and psychological indices of stress and mental health. The current study was designed to enhance efficiency of recruitment, engagement and retention; optimize assessment, intervention training and outcome measures; and ensure fidelity to intervention protocols. Responsiveness to change over time was examined to identify the most responsive potential proximate and longer-term assessments of targeted outcomes. Results: We observed high feasibility of recruitment and retention, acceptability of MBRT, fidelity to assessment and intervention protocols, and responsiveness to change for a variety of putative physiological and self-report mechanism and outcome measures. Conclusions: Results of this multi-site feasibility trial set the stage for a full-scale, multi-site trial testing the efficacy of MBRT on increasing LEO health and resilience, and on decreasing more distal outcomes of aggression and excessive use of force that would have significant downstream benefits for communities they serve. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03784846. Registered on December 24th, 2018.
AB - Background: Law enforcement officers (LEOs) are exposed to significant stressors that can impact their mental health, increasing risk of posttraumatic stress disorder, burnout, at-risk alcohol use, depression, and suicidality. Compromised LEO health can subsequently lead to aggression and excessive use of force. Mindfulness training is a promising approach for high-stress populations and has been shown to be effective in increasing resilience and improving mental health issues common among LEOs. Methods: This multi-site, randomized, single-blind clinical feasibility trial was intended to establish optimal protocols and procedures for a future full-scale, multi-site trial assessing effects of mindfulness-based resilience training (MBRT) versus an attention control (stress management education [SME]) and a no-intervention control, on physiological, attentional, and psychological indices of stress and mental health. The current study was designed to enhance efficiency of recruitment, engagement and retention; optimize assessment, intervention training and outcome measures; and ensure fidelity to intervention protocols. Responsiveness to change over time was examined to identify the most responsive potential proximate and longer-term assessments of targeted outcomes. Results: We observed high feasibility of recruitment and retention, acceptability of MBRT, fidelity to assessment and intervention protocols, and responsiveness to change for a variety of putative physiological and self-report mechanism and outcome measures. Conclusions: Results of this multi-site feasibility trial set the stage for a full-scale, multi-site trial testing the efficacy of MBRT on increasing LEO health and resilience, and on decreasing more distal outcomes of aggression and excessive use of force that would have significant downstream benefits for communities they serve. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03784846. Registered on December 24th, 2018.
KW - Aggression
KW - Law enforcement
KW - Mindfulness
KW - Remote
KW - Resilience
KW - Stress
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U2 - 10.1186/s12906-024-04452-y
DO - 10.1186/s12906-024-04452-y
M3 - Article
C2 - 38575888
AN - SCOPUS:85189617885
SN - 1472-6882
VL - 24
JO - BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies
JF - BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies
IS - 1
M1 - 142
ER -