The Effects of Alternative Stress Management Techniques on Police Officers

In Arizona, it was recently approved that police officers are required to complete stress management training as part of their pre- and post- training hours. In the past, officers have been able to choose from a list that included firearms training and other skills involving weapons, however, with this new change in departmental policy, officers will now be able to engage in stress-management techniques as required post-training. Police have a highly stressful job, and stress that lies dormant and not released creates a pathway for violence, substance abuse, domestic violence, and health issues. By implementing stress-management techniques into required police officer training, officers will hopefully feel better equipped to manage the trials and tribulations of their job. The research I've compiled in my project measures the effectiveness of practicing yoga and meditation as police officer training and offers suggestions about how officers can implement stress management training in their lives. This research was done through thorough analysis of academic journals and sources to create a complete literature review that supports the notion that police officers need comprehensive stress management training built into their curriculum. I also analyzed the current standards and training material for AZ POST and made suggestions based on research and studies I found