Sophia Konermann, Ève Leblanc, Ryan Hamilton

Although Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement (MSPE) has been designed with athletes in mind, the program has been modified for use in other high-pressure professions. This project adapted and delivered a 6-week MSPE program to a cohort of (N = 11) police cadets at a Canadian Police Academy, while assessing the appropriateness, acceptability, projected cost, fidelity, and feasibility of the intervention for police cadets. Methods: Participants completed the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale – 21 (DASS-21), the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), and the Psychological General Well-Being Index, Revised (PGWB-R) at pre-intervention, post-intervention and follow-up. Formalized personal communication and session notes were used to supplement the feasibility analysis. Results: Most participants reported decreased depressive symptoms at post-intervention and follow-up, as well as increased mindfulness and well-being at follow-up. Participants indicated increased use of mindfulness strategies outside of the MSPE sessions. Responses to open-ended questions indicate that the intervention was helpful and enjoyable to participants. Relevant feedback, such as the timing of the intervention, was generated. Conclusion: Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement Interventions can be appropriate, acceptable, feasible and useful for police cadets. Such intervention may equip police cadets with mindfulness skills useful for the entirety of their careers as police officers.