Brief mindfulness training for Canadian public safety personnel well-being
Renae M. Stevenson
Journal of Community Safety and Well-Being June 30, 2023 DOI: 10.35502/jcswb.263 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Literature review Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Public safety professionals (PSPs) |
| Topics | Meditation PTSD |
| Keywords | Mbrt First responder Resilience Osi |
| Key findings | Argues that evidence-based mindfulness interventions adapted for public safety professionals are needed in Canada to address operational stress injuries and burnout, and that current research is scarce. |
Abstract
The body of research demonstrating the psychological and physiological benefits of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) is robust and spans decades, yet its adaptation for a population at significantly higher-than-average risk of negative health outcomes, operational stress injuries, moral injury, and burnout is in its infancy. Failing to address these risks has costs not just for the well-being of public safety professionals (PSPs), but for their families, their agencies, and their communities. Public safety work requires a high standard of ethical decision-making and compassionate contact with the communities served. The public safety oversight of agency, government, and training institutes must prepare its professionals to deliver exemplary levels of service as well as establish trauma-competent training and support frameworks that are evidence-based to protect PSP well-being. Remedying historically ineffective training with evidence-based models not only addresses the complexity of operational stress injuries (OSIs) but also the needs of social justice reform. Canada’s contribution to the body of research using evidence-based MBIs for PSP well-being is scarce. This literature review informs leaders, policymakers, change agents, and researchers not only of the need for such critical research in Canada, but of its current state and important considerations for its design. The efficacy of MBI is discussed, evaluating recent quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies towards charting a brief MBI (bMBI) logistically deliverable, attentive to the PSP cultural context needs and barriers, and which facilitates sustainable skill-building in attention, awareness, and compassion.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical populations | 2003 | Review | |
| Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects | 2007 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Interventions | 2016 | Review | |
| Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation | 2017 | Review | |
| Mindfulness and acceptance: expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition | 2005 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- Psychonautical engineering: Synergizing the magic of mindfulness, mushrooms, and mindsets for police officer well-being Journal of Community Safety and Well-Being September 14, 2023
- Mindful of authority: A snapshot of the meditation and contemplative practices of some Canadian Commissioned Police Officers Journal of Community Safety and Well-Being June 29, 2023
Cites 8
- Group, One-on-One, or Internet? Preferences for Mindfulness Meditation Delivery Format and their Predictors Open Medicine Journal November 28, 2014
- Mindfulness training reduces PTSD symptoms and improves stress-related health outcomes in police officers. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology November 29, 2019
- Study protocol of a multicenter randomized controlled trial of mindfulness training to reduce burnout and promote quality of life in police officers: the POLICE study. BMC Psychiatry May 25, 2018
- Mindfulness-based resilience training to reduce health risk, stress reactivity, and aggression among law enforcement officers: A feasibility and preliminary efficacy trial. Psychiatry Research March 23, 2018
- Mindfulness-based treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder: a review of the treatment literature and neurobiological evidence. Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience October 2, 2017
and 3 more in the library