The Impact of Mindfulness Training on Police Officer Stress, Mental Health, and Salivary Cortisol Levels
Frontiers in Psychology September 3, 2021 Daniel W Grupe, Jonah L. Stoller, Carmen Alonso et al. 43 citations
An 8-week mindfulness intervention for police officers led to self-reported improvements in psychological distress, mental health symptoms, and sleep quality, with gains maintained at 3-month follow-up. The mindfulness group also had a significantly lower cortisol awakening response at follow-up compared to a waitlist control group. No effects were found on hair cortisol, diurnal cortisol slope, or inflammatory markers. The findings suggest mindfulness training may buffer against long-term consequences of chronic stress in policing.