Building Resilience in an Urban Police Department

J Occup Environ Med. 2016 Aug;58(8):796-804. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000000791.

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study is to examine a resilience training intervention that impacts autonomic responses to stress and improves cardiovascular risk, psychological, and physiological outcomes in police.

Methods: Officers [(n = 38) 22 to 54 years] modified emotional and physical responses to stress using self-regulation. Measurements include psychological and physiological measures [eg, heart rate variability (HRV), blood pressure, C-reactive protein)] obtained at three time intervals.

Results: Age was significantly (P < 0.05) associated with changes on several measures of psychological stress (eg, critical incident stress, emotional vitality, and depression). Associations were found between coherence and improved HbA1c (r = -0.66, P < 0.001) and stress due to organizational pressures (r = -0.44, P = 0.03). Improvements in sympathetic and parasympathetic contributors of HRV were significant (P < 0.03).

Conclusion: A stress-resilience intervention improves certain responses to job stress with greater benefits for younger participants.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Autonomic Nervous System
  • Biofeedback, Psychology
  • Blood Pressure
  • C-Reactive Protein / analysis
  • Cardiovascular Diseases
  • Depression
  • Emotions
  • Female
  • Health Promotion
  • Heart Rate
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Occupational Stress*
  • Pilot Projects
  • Police*
  • Resilience, Psychological*
  • Risk Factors
  • Stress, Psychological*
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • C-Reactive Protein