Abstract:

​Mindfulness is a phenomenon that has been proven beneficial for mental and physical health (Li & Bressington, 2019; Grossman et al., 2004). Self-compassion is a positive selfattitude and can improve psychological wellbeing (Dunne et al., 2018). This thesis will focus on how mindfulness and self-compassion can impact Public Safety Personnel (PSP). PSP include firefighters, police officers, and first responders as a whole. These fields are subject to immense trauma and mental health challenges (Ricciardelli et al., 2020), further reinforcing the need for additional supports. The intervention was a 2-hour 4-week program called “Mindful@Work” developed by Mindfulness Without Borders, encompassing social and emotional learning and meditation practices. The methodology was a within-subject mixed methods design. Participants completed pre- and post- surveys, including qualitative questions. Scales utilized for the surveys were the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) and the Self-Compassion Scale Short-Form (SCS-SF). It was hypothesized that mindfulness training would increase understanding of mindfulness and self-compassion, as well as shift individuals’ narratives. The objective was to see the impacts of mindfulness training.

 

Quantitative results were not significant. Results from the MAAS pre- survey (M = 4.067, SD = 0.865) were similar to postsurvey results (M = 3.933, SD = 0.726). The SCS-SF pre- survey results (M = 3.417, SD = 0.471). and post- survey results (M = 3.417, SD = 0.535) were very similar, indicating little to no differences. Whereas, the thematic analysis identified themes and saw changes in connections amongst themes as more relationships developed and strengthened between pre- and postresults. The main themes found were emotional regulation, compassion, emotional intelligence, self-awareness, present focus, positive mental health, and resiliency. It was noted how many themes were interconnected and how strengthening one could affect another. As participants developed understanding, their language and responses shifted. Therefore, changes in narrative following completion of the training were observed, although longer training sessions and the incorporation of independent practices could yield more results. Conclusions drawn were that mindfulness is a suitable intervention and highly beneficial for PSP, although it should be implemented within their educational careers in addition to workplace training. Longer interventions would be recommended for future studies.

 

Key Terms: Mindfulness, self-compassion, Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale, Self-Compassion Scale Short-Form, public safety personnel, first responders, police, mental health, stigma, trauma-facing, resilience, self-awareness, present focus.

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​Reference

Ortiz, S. (2024). How mindfulness and self-compassion impact Public Safety Personnel: A mixed methods study with focus on ​

policing in Canada. Georgian College. https://georgian.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01OCLS_GEORG/do0be6/alma991001402309707320