Mindfulness-based Interventions to Improve Relational and Mental Health of Firefighters: A Mixed Methods Feasibility Study

Previous research on the physical and mental health of firefighters indicates higher risk of coronary disease, stroke, cancer, hearing loss, and decreased mobility, as well as suicide risk, depression, anxiety, and substance use than in the general population. In spite of this, there is minimal research available on evidence-based interventions to reduce the impact of high-stress and high-trauma work on the mental health and well-being of firefighters. In collaboration with the Salt Lake City Fire Department, we conducted a feasibility study to understand how psychological resilience training influences the mental and social health of firefighters. A pre-intervention survey (n = 186) provided baseline data on firefighters' mental health and wellbeing. Domains measured were depression, anxiety, stress, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use, suicide risk, willingness to attend couple's therapy, and quality of life. Three hundred firefighters then received three 90-minute training sessions on MindShield (TM), a newly-developed trauma-informed, mindfulness-based intervention. Analysis of measurement instrument completion rates suggests firefighters were amenable to the process, though concerns about data privacy may have inhibited response on certain instruments. Qualitative data derived from four post-intervention focus groups (n = 33) informed recommendations for future intervention delivery: shorter training sessions, leaving the training with a tangible reminder of the MindShield (TM) tools, embedding firefighters more into the training presentation, and clarifying data access and privacy protocols. Both the intervention and measurement tools used were generally well-received, indicating MindShield (TM) is a feasible intervention to mitigate the impact of high-stress, high-trauma work on firefighters.