Mindfulness is associated with fewer PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, physical symptoms, and alcohol problems in urban firefighters.
Bruce W Smith, J Alexis Ortiz, Laurie E Steffen, Erin M Tooley, Kathryn T Wiggins, Elizabeth A Yeater, John D Montoya, Michael L Bernard
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology October 1, 2011 DOI: 10.1037/a0025189 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey with hierarchical multiple regressions Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 124 |
| Population | Urban firefighters |
| Measures | Mindful Awareness and Attention Scale (MAAS) |
| Topics | Depression Meditation PTSD |
| Keywords | Humans Alcoholism Stress, psychological Awareness Attention Stress disorders, post-traumatic Social support Adult Urban population Workload Male Resilience, psychological Firefighters |
| Key findings | Mindfulness was associated with fewer PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, physical symptoms, and alcohol problems in urban firefighters, controlling for demographics, firefighter variables, and other resilience resources. Personal mastery and social support were also related to fewer depressive symptoms, while firefighter stress was related to more PTSD symptoms and alcohol problems. |
Abstract
Objective: This study investigated the association between mindfulness, other resilience resources, and several measures of health in 124 urban firefighters.
Method: Participants completed health measures of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, depressive symptoms, physical symptoms, and alcohol problems and measures of resilience resources including mindfulness, optimism, personal mastery, and social support. The Mindful Awareness and Attention Scale (MAAS; Brown & Ryan, 2003) was used to assess mindfulness. Participants also completed measures of firefighter stress, number of calls, and years as a firefighter as control variables. Hierarchical multiple regressions were conducted with the health measures as the dependent variables with 3 levels of independent variables: (a) demographic characteristics, (b) firefighter variables, and (c) resilience resources.
Results: The results showed that mindfulness was associated with fewer PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, physical symptoms, and alcohol problems when controlling for the other study variables. Personal mastery and social support were also related to fewer depressive symptoms, firefighter stress was related to more PTSD symptoms and alcohol problems, and years as a firefighter were related to fewer alcohol problems.
Conclusions: Mindfulness may be important to consider and include in models of stress, coping, and resilience in firefighters. Future studies should examine the prospective relationship between mindfulness and health in firefighters and others in high-stress occupations.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on PTSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessing the quality of publicly available videos on MDMA‐assisted psychotherapy for PTSD Videos on YouTube about MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD | 2022 | Cross-sectional study | n = 100 |
| Perceptions of psychedelic-assisted therapy among Black Americans. Black and White American adults | 2023 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 294 |
| Coping motives mediate the relationship between PTSD and MDMA use in adolescents with substance use disorders German adolescent SUD patients aged 13–18 years at an outpatient clinic | 2022 | Cross-sectional study | n = 111 |
| Risk factors of sleep paralysis in a population of Polish students. Polish university students under 35 | 2022 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 2,553 |
| Expert opinions on implementation of MDMA-assisted therapy in Europe: critical appraisal towards training, clinical practice, and regulation. Researchers and clinicians involved in MDMA-AT clinical trials and contributors to the... | 2024 | Survey | n = 68 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 26
- Mapping modalities of self‐awareness in mindfulness practice: a potential mechanism for clarifying habits of mind Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences October 1, 2013
- Meditation has stronger relationships with mindfulness, kundalini, and mystical experiences than yoga or prayer. Consciousness and Cognition September 1, 2015
- Mindfulness predicts less depression, anxiety, and social impairment in emergency care personnel: A longitudinal study PLoS One December 15, 2021
- Protocol: a multi-level intervention program to reduce stress in 9-1-1 telecommunicators BMC Public Health May 2, 2018
- Strong Mind, Strong Body: The Promise of Mind-Body Interventions to Address Growing Mental Health Needs Among Youth. Mental health science June 1, 2023
and 21 more in the library
Cites 5
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mechanisms of mindfulness Journal of Clinical Psychology December 29, 2005
- Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Complementary health practice review April 1, 2008
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction and health benefits. A meta-analysis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research July 1, 2004