The impact of a Mindfulness Based Intervention group on stress, burnout and coping in a UK police force: A controlled study.

Police staff encounter numerous stressors within their work, which are associated with high levels of stress and burnout, two constructs thought to be influenced by coping styles. Research suggests that stress management interventions within the police may sometimes be ineffective. Although Mindfulness Based Interventions (MBIs) have been associated with reductions in stress and burnout within other occupations, research exploring MBIs within the police is in its infancy. Furthermore, research has often focused on police officers rather than the whole workforce. This thesis aimed to address an identified research gap, exploring immediate and long-term impacts of an MBI within a UK police workforce on self-reported stress, burnout, coping and Mindfulness. A controlled experimental design was adopted investigating an 8-week MBI using a sample of 78 operational and organisational police staff. The experimental group comprised 49 staff completing the MBI and control group comprised 29 staff not completing the MBI. Outcomes were measured at baseline, post-intervention and 6-months follow up. Paired samples t-tests investigated change on outcomes in the intervention and control groups separately. Correlational analyses investigated associations between change scores in Mindfulness and other outcomes. Further exploratory analyses investigated whether outcomes differed between operational and organisational staff. Consistent with experimental hypotheses, the MBI was associated with significant reductions in stress, burnout, avoidant coping and increases in Mindfulness. There was, however, no significant change in approach coping. No significant long-term effects were reported for any outcomes apart from perceived self-efficacy. Short-term increases in Mindfulness were significantly associated with reductions in stress, burnout and increases in approach coping, indicating that increased Mindfulness may mediate effects for these outcomes. Most outcomes did not significantly differ between roles, but operational staff reported significantly greater reductions in burnout following the MBI. Theoretical and practical implications are considered and recommendations provided around delivering MBIs within the police.