An Evaluation of a Mind-Body Medicine Training Program for Parole Services Division Staff

Summary

The goal of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a mind-body medicine training program on parole services staff. The main questions it aims to answer are:

* Will participation in the training increase resilience; empathy; the belief that one can cope with difficult situations; and decrease symptoms of depression, stress, anxiety, and burnout?
* What is the personal and professional impact of the training program?

Sixty staff members of the Indiana Department of Correction Parole Services Division will do the following:

* Attend an initial 4-day mind-body medicine training. Mind-body techniques taught in the training include: meditation; a breathing exercise; biofeedback; guided imagery; expressing oneself through drawings and writing; movement to reduce stress; and family trees to explore family dynamics.
* Attend a 2-day practicum. The 2-day practicum will teach staff the ways in which they can share the skills they have learned one-on-one with parolees and families of parolees.
* Attend 4 biweekly sessions of 2-hour group consultation sessions. The consultations will support the use of the mind-body skills with the parolees.

Participants will also do the following:

* Fill out standardized questionnaires online before and after the training program in order to measure changes in resilience; empathy; the belief that one can cope with difficult situations; and symptoms of depression, stress, anxiety, and burnout.
* Fill out an additional online questionnaire three months after the consultation sessions to determine how trainees are using the mind-body skills in their work.
* Participate in an online group interview to determine how trainees are using the skills and how the training has affected them personally and professionally.

Conditions

• Healthy

Interventions

OTHER

Mind-Body Medicine Training Program

The 4-day training includes lectures and small group participation. Lecture topics cover information on a variety of mind--body techniques and the small groups allow participants to practice the techniques. The 2-day practicum will teach staff the ways in which they can share the skills they have learned one-on-one with parolees and families of parolees. The practicum lectures will provide a review of the mind-body skills and examples of practical applications. The practicum will also include breakout sessions to allow participants to practice their skills. The four 2-hour group consultation sessions will allow time for the trained staff to share their experiences as they teach these skills to others and ask any questions that may arise. These consultations will support the ongoing sharing of mind-body medicine skills with the parolees and the families of parolees. Edit

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Herbert Simon Family Foundation

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• The Center for Mind-Body Medicine

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Julie K Staples, PhD · The Center for Mind-Body Medicine

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

OTHER

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-01-21

Primary Completion

2025-02-24

Completion

2025-02-24

Countries

• United States

Study Locations