A Qualitative Investigation of the Experience of Mindfulness Training Among Police Officers

The primary objective of this study was to qualitatively assess the experience of mindfulness-based resilience training (MBRT) among police officers. MBRT is an 8-week intervention designed to enhance police officer resilience in the context of acute and chronic stressors inherent to policing. MBRT has demonstrated preliminary efficacy in decreasing aggression, burnout, alcohol use, sleep disturbance, and improving cortisol reactivity, psychological flexibility, and non-reactivity. Participants (n = 5) were police officers who completed an individual semi-structured interview post-MBRT. A coding schema was developed to identify and categorize participant responses, and then applied the final coding framework to all participant interviews. Results revealed perceived improvements in intrapersonal and interpersonal functioning, benefits of MBRT, and strategies for overcoming potential barriers to mindfulness practice. These preliminary qualitative results are consistent with quantitative psychological and physiological MBRT outcomes and provide further support for MBRT feasibility and acceptability.