Who benefits from mindfulness? The moderating role of personality and social norms for the effectiveness on psychological and physiological outcomes among police officers.

Abstract

There is a growing interest to use mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for occupational health promotion. As most evidence for the beneficial effects comes from convenience samples in the social/education/health sector, it is still an open question if MBIs are effective in other contexts, or for whom MBIs are more effective. In addition, self-selection and sample characteristics may have biased previous findings. Theoretically and practically, it is important to know whether MBIs are also effective for nonselective samples outside the social and health sector, especially in agentic and male-oriented cultures. Therefore, this study investigates the effects of a MBI on physiological and psychological criteria in a nonselective sample of police officers. Moreover, this study examines whether effectiveness depends on participants’ personality (neuroticism, openness, and conscientiousness) and on perceived social norms toward MBIs. Using a pre–post intervention design, N = 267 police officers were randomly assigned to an intervention group receiving a 6-week intervention and to a control group. Repeated-measures analysis of variance showed a positive effect on heart rate variability and a stronger reduction of psychological strain, health complaints, and negative affect, as well as more improvement of mindfulness and self-care in the intervention group in comparison with the control group. Additionally, participants higher in neuroticism and openness benefitted more, and the effectiveness was stronger for those who perceived a favorable social norm toward MBIs. Our findings provide evidence that participants with male-oriented occupations may also benefit from a MBI. The importance of individual differences and the social context is discussed.

Caring for Oneself or for Others? How Consistent and Inconsistent Profiles of Health-Oriented Leadership Are Related to Follower Strain and Health

“…Both staff care and follower self care have been shown to contribute to follower health, strain and work-life conflict above and beyond transformational leadership (Franke et al, 2014). Self care has been shown to be susceptible to interventions aimed at increasing personal resources (Krick and Felfe, 2019). Mediation analyses further suggest that reduced staff care explains the crossover of strain from leaders to followers (Köppe et al, 2018) and that part of the positive effect of staff care can be attributed to fostering followers’ self care (Horstmann, 2018; Santa Maria et al, 2019).…”

Mindfulness-Based Programs in the Workplace: a Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

“…At the same time, this group of professionals might be particularly inclined to cultivating mindfulness skills (Irving et al 2009). A less favorable climate might prevail in the context of "tough, male"-oriented occupations, such as police officers or firefighters, including social norms, attitudes, and expectations that possibly lower the acceptance and effects of MBPs (see e.g., Krick and Felfe 2019). Other implicit features of samples can include the level of education required to practice a profession or work experience aligned with certain hierarchical positions.…”

Effects of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Police Officers

“…A few scholars have examined the effects of mindfulnessbased intervention for police officers. Krick and Felfe (2019) conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT), dividing a relatively large group of 267 police officers at a German academy to a mindfulness-based intervention condition (integrated in the police education) and a control condition (receiving regular education without mindfulness training). They found that the intervention group at post-test had increased mindful awareness and self-care, as well as heart rate variability, and lower levels of psychological strain, health complaints, and negative affect, in comparison with the control group.…”