Judith P. Andersen, HART Lab

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/1807/73649

The Health Adaptation Research on Trauma (HART) Lab, located at the University of Toronto Mississauga, is a fully-ambulatory, psychophysiology lab. HART Lab researchers measure physiological signals and biological processes as they occur in order to study the effects of severe and chronic stress on health, well-being, and occupational performance over the lifespan.

The HART Lab conducts research in the following areas:

First Responder Resilience and Health - Intervention Science
Use of Force Training for Law Enforcement
Trauma-Related Health Disparities among Minority and Non-Minority Populations

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 10

Open Access
Highly realistic scenario based training simulates the psychophysiology of real world use of force encounters: implications for improved police officer performance
(Ubrica Global Journal System, 2016-07) Andersen, Judith P.; Pitel, Marian; Weerasinghe, Ashini; Papazoglou, Konstantinos
Much police ‘Use of Force (UOF)’ training focuses on range shooting, classroom-based learning, and minimal exposure to realistic scenarios. Consequently, police officers may not be prepared for real-world critical incidents, due to lack of experience making UOF decisions during high stress. This study compared two SWAT (“Special Weapons and Tactics”) teams (n=24) to examine the best-simulated physiological stress responses in real-world law enforcement UOF encounters. Results revealed officer physiological stress to highly realistic scenario training was significantly correlated to the stress responses of active duty police officers. Stress responses during classroom-based scenario trainings were minimal, and not significantly related to stress responses experienced during realistic training scenarios or activity duty emergency calls.
Open Access
Police health professionals' knowledge and practices in educating officers about trauma and health
(Ubrica Global Journal System, 2016-09) Andersen, Judith P.; Papazoglou, Konstantinos
Research has shown a connection between trauma exposure and elevated health risks among police officers. This study explored police health professionals’ knowledge and current practices in educating officers about the trauma-health relationship. Results indicated the main method of education included lectures and seminars, but participants expressed an openness to include practical exercises such as mindfulness and yoga. The majority of survey participants were aware of the connection between critical incident exposure and physical disease conditions. Participants were open to learning trauma prevention techniques to improve health and wellness and to promote resilience.
Open Access
Fostering resilience among police
(Ubrica Global Journal System, 2015-09) Andersen, Judith P.; Papazoglou, Konstantinos; Nyman, Markku; Koskelainen, Mari; Gustafsberg, Harri
Police officers are often mandated to respond to extremely stressful and potentially traumatic situations over the course of their careers (Andersen, Papazoglou, Koskelainen, & Nyman, 2015). Research has shown that occupational stress and trauma exposure has a negative impact on police officers’ health and wellness (Violanti et al., 2005). Police officers are expected to respond to critical incidents and resolve challenging situations effectively despite routine exposure to severe stress. Even though local and national governments invest a vast amount of money in police tactical training and equipment, resilience building has not been a major component of police training. This paper aims to open a dialogue about the importance of mental preparedness training as a means of enhancing police resilience in the line of duty. The authors discuss the pioneering work of scholars (e.g., Andersen et al., 2015; Arnetz et al., 2013) who developed research initiatives to facilitate mental preparedness among police officers. Clinical and police training applications of the aforementioned research work, as well as future directions of such outcomes are discussed.
Open Access
A training method to improve police use of force decision making: a randomized controlled trial
(SAGE Publications, 2016-04-07) Andersen, Judith P.; Gustafsberg, Harri
Police safety and use of force decisions during critical incidents are an ongoing source of concern for both police practitioners and the public. Prior research in the area of police performance reveals that psychological and physiological stress responses during critical incidents can shape the outcome of the incident, either positively or negatively. The goal of this study was to test a training method to improve use of force decision making among police. This randomized controlled pilot study consisted of training officers to apply techniques to enhance psychological and physiological control during stressful critical incidents. Of a pool of 80 police officers, potential participants were invited based on equivalent age, years of experience, physiological characteristics (i.e., body mass index [BMI] and cardiovascular reactivity), and expertise. Results revealed that the intervention group displayed significantly better physiological control, situational awareness, and overall performance, and made a greater number of correct use of force decisions than officers in the control group (all ps < .01). The relevant improvements in use of force decision-making found in this pilot study indicate that this training method warrants further investigation. Improved use of force decision making directly translates into potential lifesaving decisions for police and the civilians they are working with.
Open Access
Reducing robust health-relevant cardiovascular stress responses among active-duty special forces police
(OMICS International, 2016-03-11) Andersen, Judith P.; Papazoglou, Konstantinos; Collins, Peter
Policing presents a complex set of risk factors for occupational health and safety among officers, including environmental, psychosocial, and health risks. Environmental risks include facing critical incidents such as violent offenders, hostage negotiations, intense crime scenes, and irate civilians. Critical incidents are high pressure situations that are typically time sensitive, and elicit substantial physiological threat responses. When facing a threat, the body normally responds by going into a “fight-or-flight” mode, in which a host of physiological and psychological processes are invoked to help the body cope successfully with the threat [1]. For example, heart rate increases, digestion stops, blood flow to the brain moves from prefrontal cortex (logical thought) to the hindbrain (instinctual drives), and a person becomes less cognitively aware of their surroundings and more focused on fighting or fleeing from the threat. The natural and instinctual physiological response to threat may place police officers at a greater risk of injury or death, by reducing their situational awareness (i.e., ability to notice important environmental stimuli and other threats in their environment), and split-second decision making skills (e.g. shoot/don’t shoot). Advanced police teams called Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) officers, are called to the highest risk encounters [2]. The current research is the first to observe robust cardiovascular reactivity among SWAT officers during multiple, active duty shifts. Significant cardiovascular reactivity may pose a health risk to SWAT officers over time. Accordingly, this research documents the case examples from one team of SWAT officers who applied a simple cardiovascular and respiratory control technique during daily activities. Results suggest that this micro-intervention may have significant positive impact on daily cardiovascular health among SWAT officers.
Open Access
Mental preparedness training
(The FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin is published by the FBI’s Training Division, Training Coordination and Support Unit., 2016-03) Andersen, Judith P.; Papazoglou, Konstantinos; Gustafsberg, Harri; Collins, Peter; Arnetz, Bengt B.
Open Access
Mental preparedness as a pathway to police resilience and optimal functioning in the line of duty
(OMICS International, 2015-09) Andersen, Judith P.; Papazoglou, Konstantinos; Arnetz, Bengt B.; Collins, Peter
Open Access
Applying resilience promotion training among special forces police officers
(SAGE Publications, 2015-06-12) Andersen, Judith P.; Papazoglou, Konstantinos; Koskelainen, Mari; Nyman, Markku; Gustafsberg, Harri; Arnetz, Bengt B.
Police Special Forces (a.k.a. special weapons and tactics [SWAT]) officers are tasked with responding to the most critical situations, including incidents that require specialized skills and equipment beyond typical policing activities. In this study, we tested the feasibility of applying Arnetz and colleagues’ resilience promotion training that was developed for patrol officers to SWAT team officers (n = 18). The resilience promotion training program included psychoeducation focused on police stress and resilience, and the practice of resilience promotion techniques (controlled breathing and imagery) while listening to audio-recorded critical incident scenarios. The aims of this study were to (a) examine if a resilience training program was relevant and accepted by SWAT team officers and (b) assess participants’ physiological stress responses (heart rate, respiration) during the resilience training sessions to note if there were improvements in stress responding over time. Our findings revealed that participants were able to significantly reduce their average heart rate and improve their ability to engage in controlled respiration (i.e., breathing) during simulated critical incidents over the course of the 5-day training. Improvements in stress responding were observed even when the critical incident scenarios became more graphic. Results suggest that an intervention to reduce stress responses of SWAT officers to critical incident scenarios works in a simulated training setting. Translation of these findings to real-world occupational hazards is a recommended next step.
Open Access
Compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction among police officers: an understudied topic
(OMICS International, 2015-09) Andersen, Judith P.; Papazoglou, Konstantinos
Open Access
Knowledge and training regarding the link between trauma and health: a national survey of Finnish police officers
(SAGE Publications, 2015-04-08) Andersen, Judith P.; Papazoglou, Konstantinos; Koskelainen, Mari; Nyman, Markku
Research regarding what police officers currently know (or want to know) about the impact of trauma exposure on mental and physical health is rare. Given that police training and educational practices differ based on country or territory, studies using standardized surveys to discover police officer’s preferences or openness to learning further information about the relationship between stress and health are not available. The goal of this study was to develop a survey to answer the following questions: (a) What do police officers know about stress, trauma, and health? (b) Are police officers interested in attaining more knowledge (and in what ways) about stress, trauma, and health? (c) Are police officers open to seeking help for trauma and/or stress-related issues, and if so, where do they prefer to seek help? The survey was fielded to all of the officers serving in the National Police Service in Finland during the spring and summer of 2014. Results suggest that officers were generally aware of the impact of police work on physical health problems (e.g., sleep disorders, heart-related issues) but had not received formal training about how trauma is related to mental and physical health or personal health risks. Officers were open to learning about both traditional (e.g., peer support) and alternative therapeutic techniques (e.g., relaxation), and many reported willingness to enroll in such programs if offered by the organization. Implications include incorporating evidence-based information regarding the trauma-health link into standard police curricula and providing officers with organizationally supported clinical and peer supports and therapeutic opportunities.

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