Toward the Design of VR-based Mindfulness Training Elements for Law Enforcement Officers
Yulim Kim, Ranjana K. Mehta
Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting September 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1177/10711813251381731 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Law |
| Key findings | Argues that virtual reality can make mindfulness meditation more accessible for law enforcement officers by integrating core meditation techniques into immersive VR elements, such as particle diffusion representing exhaled breath. Proposes design frameworks and criteria to guide VR-based mindfulness training for this population, based on two literature reviews. |
Abstract
Stress is a significant factor in suicides among law enforcement officers (LEOs). While mindfulness meditation is recognized as effective for managing stress, it typically requires long-term commitment and instructor guidance. Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as an accessible and immersive means to deliver mindfulness meditation. Core mindfulness techniques have been implemented in VR, though not yet adapted for LEOs' stress. Our study aims to provide VR-based design frameworks to identify VR elements applicable to mindfulness training for LEOs. We conducted two literature reviews and established frameworks that identified key aspects of meditation techniques (e.g., regulating stress), explored how they could be integrated into VR (e.g., visual feedback), and recommended potential outcomes (e.g., dynamic visual scenes reducing stress). Drawing from the framework, we synthesized VR-based elements that could deliver effective mindfulness techniques (e.g., element/particle diffusion representing exhaled breath). These findings informed the development of design criteria targeted for each mindfulness technique.