YFFR isn't built on testimonials. The protocol has been evaluated in peer-reviewed research led by scientists at the University of New South Wales and the Black Dog Institute, including the first randomized controlled trial of a workplace resilience program of its kind among active-duty first responders.
In a cluster randomized controlled trial published in the APA journal Psychological Trauma, first responders who completed the training showed significantly lower PTSD symptoms in the short term and significantly stronger adaptive coping, compared with a control group. For responders already at subthreshold risk of PTSD, those symptom improvements were sustained three months after training.
Tan L, Deady M, Mead O, Foright RM, Brenneman EM, Bryant RA, Harvey SB. Yoga resilience training to prevent the development of PTSD in active-duty first responders: a cluster randomized controlled trial. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 2024.
An earlier peer-reviewed study in JMIR Formative Research tested delivering the protocol online. It found the web-based format feasible and well-accepted by active-duty first responders, with a significant shift toward viewing stress as enhancing rather than debilitating. As a feasibility study, it was not designed to measure clinical effectiveness; that is what the randomized controlled trial above was for.
Tan L, Deady M, Mead O, Foright RM, Brenneman EM, Yeager JR, Bryant RA, Harvey SB. Web-based mind-body tactical resilience training program for first responders: pre-post study assessing feasibility, acceptability, and usability. JMIR Formative Research, 2023.