Feasibility, Acceptability, and Preliminary Efficacy of an App-Based Meditation Intervention to Decrease Firefighter Psychological Distress and Burnout: A One-Group Pilot Study
JMIR Formative Research November 14, 2021 Thaddeus W. W. Pace, Katharine H. Zeiders, S. Cook et al.
A pilot test of a smartphone-based meditation app with 35 professional firefighters found that the 10-day self-guided program was feasible and acceptable. After using the app, firefighters showed significant reductions in anxiety, burnout, and negative affect, along with changes in waking cortisol levels, an objective marker of stress biology. The app, developed by Healthy Minds Innovations, included practices for mindfulness, connection, insight, and purpose. The authors call for further research to confirm the app's efficacy in reducing psychological distress and burnout among firefighters.