A Pilot Trial of Mindfulness-Based Resilience Training Among Police Officers

NCT ID: NCT02521454

Last Updated: 2018-08-29

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 61 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2015-08-31
• Study Completion Date: 2018-07-31

Brief Summary

Successful policing requires rapid and unbiased decision-making, well-developed emotion regulation skills, and psychological resilience. However, law enforcement officers (LEOs) are frequently exposed to intensive work-related stress and trauma, and consequently, are at elevated risk of adverse mental health outcomes. These mental health issues in turn are some of the primary mechanisms underlying other- and self-directed violence among LEOs. The excessive use of force by LEOs, including unjustified shootings, frequently captures national headlines and is considered by many to be one of the most serious and divisive human rights issues in the United States. Previous research suggests that LEOs can be impacted by various factors when making rapid decisions while using firearms, including a lack of careful consideration of contextual factors and unconscious racial stereotypes. This is especially true when their cognitive and emotional resources are compromised due to factors such as stress. Similarly, key precursors to suicide among LEOs include chronic stress, exposure to trauma, alcohol misuse, and depression. The substantial personal, social, and economic costs of LEO stress, including unjustified shootings and suicide, suggest a clear need for innovative and novel prevention programs to promote well-being and reduce violence. Given its demonstrated impact on many of the precursors to self- and other-directed violence among LEOs, one possible approach is an adapted Mindfulness-Based Stress-Reduction (MBSR) program, developed specifically for LEOs. Therefore, the primary objectives of this proposal are to: (1) assess the feasibility of recruitment, adherence to program intervention, and compliance with assessment instruments, and (2) determine the impact of an adapted MBSR program (Mindfulness-Based Resilience Training; MBRT) on precursors to other- and self-directed violence, and in promoting psychological resilience and emotion regulation among LEOs. There is promising preliminary evidence suggesting that mindfulness is an effective strategy for LEOs to decrease stress and its negative outcomes, enhance resilience and emotion regulation, and ultimately reduce other- and self-directed violence. The proposed project will test the impact of MBRT using a pilot feasibility randomized controlled trial (RCT). This research will generate important information on the feasibility of recruitment, adherence to program intervention, and compliance with assessment instruments, and data obtained through the proposed study will build on the investigators existing work to provide support for a larger RCT examining the efficacy of MBRT in reducing violence.

Conditions

Mindfulness

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

MBRT

Mindfulness-Based Resilience Training

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

MBRT

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

WL Control

waitlist control group

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

MBRT

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• full-time, active status, sworn-in law enforcement officers in the Portland Metro area

Exclusion Criteria

• previously completed MBRT or MBSR course

• Minimum Eligible Age: 21 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 55 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Pacific University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Michael Christopher, PhD

Associate Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

Pacific University

Forest Grove, Oregon, United States

Countries

United States

References

Christopher M, Ferry M, Simmons A, Vasquez A, Reynolds B, Grupe D. Psychometric properties of the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire-short form among law enforcement officers. Aggress Behav. 2024 Mar;50(2):e22145. doi: 10.1002/ab.22145.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 38477412 (View on PubMed)

Kaplan J, Bergman AL, Green K, Dapolonia E, Christopher M. Relative Impact of Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, and Psychological Flexibility on Alcohol Use and Burnout Among Law Enforcement Officers. J Altern Complement Med. 2020 Dec;26(12):1190-1194. doi: 10.1089/acm.2020.0178. Epub 2020 Oct 5.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 33017172 (View on PubMed)

Christopher MS, Hunsinger M, Goerling LRJ, Bowen S, Rogers BS, Gross CR, Dapolonia E, Pruessner JC. Mindfulness-based resilience training to reduce health risk, stress reactivity, and aggression among law enforcement officers: A feasibility and preliminary efficacy trial. Psychiatry Res. 2018 Jun;264:104-115. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.03.059. Epub 2018 Mar 23.

Reference Type: RESULT

PMID: 29627695 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

1R21AT008854-01

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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