Mental health and mindfulness among police officers

There has been a recent focus on mental health issues among police officers, as the operational and occupational stressors of police work can affect a person’s ability to cope and increase the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression. Despite the increasing evidence in support of the positive effects of mindfulness, few studies to date have examined officer use of mindfulness as a potential coping strategy. The objective of this study is therefore to examine mindfulness practice as a potential coping strategy for reducing mental health issues among police officers by exploring police officers’ awareness and use of mindfulness. A sample of 61 police officers from the Lower Mainland of British Columbia completed an online survey regarding mental health and mindfulness. Although the current sample demonstrated lower levels of depression and stress than in past research, the prevalence of possible PTSD (34%) appeared to be higher. Most reported being familiar with mindfulness and using it at least some of the time. Given previous research indicating that stigma and police culture influences whether individuals seek resources, it may be worthwhile to offer mindfulness programming through an online or hybrid format, so that participants feel less stigmatized for help-seeking. It might make sense to offer mindfulness practice during recruit training or early in an officer’s career as the research suggests that it can improve resilience. The current study shows that while some officers already do practice mindfulness, there is room to improve on the methods by which it is offered.