None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Police officers experience unrelenting stress on the job, contributing to high rates of psychological distress. This study will examine if an online mental wellbeing program—Mindarma—can increase psychological resilience in Victoria Police officers and reduce psychological distress. If successful, the Mindarma program may be offered to all Victorian police officers as a vital wellbeing tool.
Interventions
Mindarma is an online evidence-based training program developed at the Black Dog Institute and UNSW Medicine and Health by psychologists with expertise in clinical interventions. Delivered online and self-paced, the program teaches a range of practical skills and strategies that have enhanced psychological wellbeing, resilience, and healthy coping in prior research (Resilience@ Work mindfulness program: results from a cluster randomized controlled trial with first responders
S Joyce, F Shand, T
Mindarma is an online evidence-based training program developed at the Black Dog Institute and UNSW Medicine and Health by psychologists with expertise in clinical interventions. Delivered online and self-paced, the program teaches a range of practical skills and strategies that have enhanced psychological wellbeing, resilience, and healthy coping in prior research (Resilience@ Work mindfulness program: results from a cluster randomized controlled trial with first responders S Joyce, F Shand, TJ Lal, B Mott, RA Bryant, SB Harvey - Journal of medical Internet research, 2019). Modules cover the topics of stress management, mindfulness, acceptance and emotion regulation. Each module is structured to include short interactive lessons on the relevant topic, guided practices, and tools that can be used in everyday life and during challenging situations. The program can also be configured to send email reminders to users as desired. The program has been utilised by numerous emergency service and frontline agencies across Australia including NSW Ambulance, Ambulance Victoria, Department of Fire and Emergency Services, Western Australia, Department of Communities and Justice NSW and the Australian Federal Police, Victoria. Program is self-directed over a 6 week period, with web usage analytics used to measure program engagement.
Sponsors
Swinburne University of Technology
Study design
Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Intervention model
Single group
Primary purpose
Educational / counselling / training
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: • Current Victoria Police employee (sworn or unsworn) • Aged 18 years or older • Able to provide informed consent • Access to a device (computer, tablet, or smartphone) and internet connection to complete online surveys and access the Mindarma program
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: • Currently receiving treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - Individuals who are currently receiving psychological, psychiatric, or medication-based treatment for PTSD will not be eligible to participate. This includes those actively engaged in therapy or counselling specifically focused on PTSD symptoms or trauma treatment. • Experiencing psychological distress requiring immediate clinical support - Individuals identified during screening as experiencing high levels of distress or risk, where more immediate or specialised clinical care would be more appropriate, will not be eligible to participate. Where appropriate, referral information and support pathways will be provided. • Unable to provide informed consent - Individuals who are unable to understand the study requirements or provide informed consent will not be eligible to participate. • Currently participating in another psychological intervention study - Individuals currently enrolled in another psychological or wellbeing intervention research study that may influence study outcomes will not be eligible to participate.
Outcome results
None listed