Mindfulness Meditation Training Reduces Aggression and Improves Well-Being in Highly Stressed Law Enforcement Officers

Law enforcement officers are at risk of decreased mental and physical health due to the high demands and stressful nature of police work. Self-regulatory cognitive training may be particularly efficacious for law enforcement officers. The present study examined the feasibility and efficacy of three standardized, 8-week mindfulness-based interventions: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Mindfulness-Based Resilience Training (MBRT), and Mindful Performance Enhancement, Awareness, and Knowledge (mPEAK) to foster psychological well-being for law enforcement officers. We expected no between group differences in outcomes. Further, we hypothesized that increases in dispositional mindfulness would mediate reductions in aggression and improvements in well-being. Eighty-four law enforcement officers were recruited. All procedures were performed online. Participants completed measures of aggression, stress, depression, emotion dysregulation, anxiety, and mindfulness. Seventy-nine officers were then randomized into one of three interventions: MBSR, MBRT, or mPEAK. Participants completed study assessments, again, after 4 and 8 weeks of mindfulness training. Fifty officers (median age = 44; 34 male) completed their assigned training. At baseline, 92% of police officers reported moderate to high levels of stress. The mPEAK program exhibited a 24% attrition rate, while MBSR and MBRT showed attrition rates of 44% and 41% respectively. There were no significant outcome differences between groups. Participants reported significant decreases in aggression and stress after training. Depression, difficulties in emotion regulation, and anxiety scores also decreased significantly. Importantly, increases in dispositional mindfulness mediated the relationship between aggression and stress and depression. These data indicate that mindfulness training may produce improvements in well-being in a sample of highly stressed police officers.