Feasibility and Acceptability of Mindfulness-based Resilience Training for Rural Law Enforcement Officers

Rural law enforcement officers (LEOs) are exposed to unique and significant stressors, yet have access to fewer resources, compared to urban counterparts, to mitigate harmful effects of stress. This elevates risk for maladaptive coping strategies such as problematic alcohol use, mental health consequences, and aggression and excessive use of force. The proposed supplement will assess feasibility and accessibility of Mindfulness-Based Resilience Training (MBRT), with added intervention components addressing alcohol use, in under-resourced rural LEOs to ensure success in a future multisite efficacy trial assessing effects of MBRT on mental health and behavioral outcomes.

Inclusion Criteria:be 21-65 years old,demonstrate English fluency,be a sworn, full-time, active status law enforcement officer, andbe willing to complete assessments at multiple time points and attend intervention groupsExclusion Criteria:previous participation in mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), MBRT or a similar mindfulness course,endorse suicidal ideation, orunable or unwilling to give written informed consent