JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Correction professionals are a highly-stressed workforce with heightened risks for depression, suicide, obesity, cardiovascular disease and injury. These professionals, largely hidden from view, have received little study concerning means to improve their safety, health and well-being. In other settings mindfulness has resulted in lowered stress, along with other benefits. We hypothesized that a program that promoted mindfulness combined with more typical health and safety components, could uniquely benefit corrections professionals.

Objective:

This project will assess a novel scalable, self-administered program to enhance the mindfulness, safety and health of a vulnerable worker group.

Methods:

In partnership with the Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC), we are conducting a prospective quasi-experimental trial of a safety, health, and mindfulness program among 100 corrections professions from three institutions. Survey and physiologic data will be collected at enrollment, upon weekly program completion (3-months) and at 9-months after enrollment. Primary outcomes are behaviors promoted by the program: being mindful; healthier eating; more physical activity; and greater restorative sleep. Secondary downstream benefits are anticipated in stress level, mood, life satisfaction, positive feelings about the organization, vascular health, and cellular aging, along with job performance, injuries and economic costs. Participants will meet in person or virtually as three to five member co-worker groups during their usual work hours for 30-minute sessions once a week for 12-weeks. The program uses self-guided interactive online learning modules that include brief mindfulness practice, and it is accessible by smartphone, tablet or laptop. Daily mindfulness practice are encouraged between sessions, facilitated by the study website and group format. The modules’ structure emphasizes prerequisite knowledge, peer support, skill practice, self-monitoring and enhancing self-efficacy for change. The program continues through self-directed use of the Headspace® application following the 12 weekly sessions.

Results:

Participants are being enrolled and intervention is ready to launch.

Conclusions:

Although mindfulness training has gained traction for worker well-being, its usual format requires a skilled trainer and an initial retreat and weekly two-hour meetings for several weeks. The content is limited to mindfulness, without safety of health promotion aspects. The need for skilled trainers and time commitment limit feasibility of the usual mindfulness interventions. The planned program is an innovative combination of technology, elearning, and a group format to add mindfulness to a safety and health curriculum. If feasible, acceptable and effective, the format would facilitate is wide-spread use. Clinical Trial: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05608889, Registered November 7, 2022