The Relationship between Mindfulness and Resiliency among Active Duty Service Members and Military Veterans

Rice, Valerie; Boykin, Gary; Jeter, Angela; Villarreal, Jessica; Overby, Cory R.; Alfred, Petra

doi:10.1177/1541931213571307

Cited by 11 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Randomized controlled trials have found that mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) improve mental health (e.g., PTSD and depressive symptoms, anxiety, chronic stress) and physical functioning (e.g., functional status, chronic pain), and assist in the treatment of insomnia and substance use disorders (Chiesa & Serretti, 2011; Khusid & Vythilingam, 2016a; Khusid & Vythilingam, 2016b). Among individuals exposed to high-stress work environments, such as first-responders (Christopher et al, 2016) and soldiers in intensive field training (Rice, Boykin, Overby, Jeter, & Villarreal, 2017), MBIs have been shown to improve emotion regulation, sleep quality, physical health, and work performance.…”

Section: Developing a Rationale For Expending Resources On Mindfulnessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-reported mindfulness and soldier health following a combat deployment.

Nassif

Start

Toblin

et al. 2019

Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy

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Objective: Combat exposure has been linked to health-related challenges associated with postcombat adjustment, including mental health symptoms, behavior-related problems, physical pain, and functional impairment. Mindfulness, or acceptance of the present moment without reactivity or judgment, may be associated with better mental health following a combat deployment. This study examined whether self-reported mindfulness predicted soldier health outcomes over the course of the postdeployment period. Method: U.S. soldiers (n ϭ 627) were surveyed 4 months after a deployment to Afghanistan (T1) and again 3 months later (T2). Mindfulness was assessed using the nonreactivity to inner experience subscale of the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire. Hierarchical linear regressions examined how mindfulness (T1) moderated the impact of combat exposure (T1) on outcomes at T2. Results: Controlling for rank, the interaction between combat exposure and mindfulness significantly predicted posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, depression symptoms, risk-taking behaviors, pain symptoms, and functional impairment. The interaction term explained 1% to 2% of the variance in these health outcomes. Simple slopes analyses revealed that combat exposure was associated with more PTSD symptoms, depression symptoms, risk-taking behaviors, pain symptoms, and functional impairment when soldiers reported low levels of mindfulness. There was no effect for alcohol misuse, sleep difficulties, or aggressive behaviors. Conclusions: Nonreactivity to inner experience may mitigate the detrimental effects of high-levels of combat exposure on both mental and physical health outcomes. These findings indicate that mindfulness strategies such as nonreactivity may be particularly useful for employees facing potentially traumatic stressors in a high-risk occupational context. Clinical Impact StatementCombat exposure has been linked to mental and physical health problems. Given that mindfulness training has been shown to improve health status, this study examined whether self-reported mindfulness could protect soldiers from health problems following combat deployment. U.S. soldiers were surveyed at 4 months (for mindfulness and combat exposure) and at 7 months (for mental and physical health) following deployment. Among soldiers reporting low mindfulness, combat exposure was linked to more PTSD, depression, risky behaviors, functional impairment, and pain. Mindfulness training should be explored as a self-management strategy to bolster mental and physical health for those working in high-risk occupations.

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Section: Developing a Rationale For Expending Resources On Mindfulnessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-reported mindfulness and soldier health following a combat deployment.

Nassif

Start

Toblin

et al. 2019

Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy

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show abstract

“…See Rice et al (2013) for contrary findings involving the MAAS in a sample of military service members.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The association of distress tolerance and mindful awareness with mental health in first responders.

McDonald

Yang

Lancaster

2022

Psychological Services

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Mindful awareness (MA) and distress tolerance are emerging as robust predictors of mental health in populations with high levels of stress and trauma exposure, such as first responders. The combination of both protective factors may have potentiating benefits for mental health. First responders might especially benefit from high levels of MA if they are able to tolerate distressing present-moment experiences as needed. In this study, cross-sectional data were used to test whether distress intolerance (DI) moderated the relationship between MA and mental health. First responders (N = 176) completed an online assessment battery including measures of MA (Mindful Attention Awareness Scale), DI (Distress Intolerance Index), and mental health outcomes (i.e., Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale; Posttraumatic Stress Disorder [PTSD] Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition [DSM-5]; Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale; abbreviated Maslach Burnout Inventory; compassion satisfaction subscale of the Professional Quality of Life Scale; Satisfaction with Life Scale; and Brief Resilience Scale). Multiple regression models demonstrated that among first responders with higher DI, MA had a stronger association with lower anxiety and depression symptoms. Interactions between MA and DI were not significant for other outcome measures. However, higher MA and lower DI each independently predicted lower stress (lower posttraumatic stress, secondary traumatic stress, and general stress); higher MA independently predicted better occupational health (lower burnout and higher compassion satisfaction); and lower DI independently predicted positive mental health (greater resilience and life satisfaction). Results highlight the independent associations of high MA and low DI with first responders' mental health and underscore the importance of studying of interventions that promote both of these protective factors in first responders. Impact StatementAmong first responders, lower distress intolerance (DI) and higher mindful awareness (MA) both serve as important protective factors for mental health. Interventions that promote MA, while simultaneously reducing DI, could be especially beneficial for first responders and other populations with high levels of occupational stress and trauma exposure.

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“…In another study, Keye and Pidgeon (2013) found that both mindfulness and academic self-efficacy significantly predict resilience in university students. Conversely, Rice et al (2013) indicated no direct significant relationship between overall mindfulness and resilience in active duty service members and military veterans. In addition, similar to the theoretical standing of the current study, there are also studies showing that the relation between mindfulness and trait resilience is only mediated by certain psychological constructs such as emotion regulation and self-compassion in socio-economically disadvantaged adolescents (Sünbül-Aydın & Güneri, 2019) and me-diated by self-esteem in university students (Bajaj, 2017).…”

Section: Mindfulness and Trait Resiliencementioning

confidence: 84%

Mindfulness, Positive Affection and Cognitive Flexibility as Antecedents of Trait Resilience

Sünbül¹

2020

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The Relationship between Mindfulness and Resiliency among Active Duty Service Members and Military Veterans

Cited by 11 publications

References 24 publications

Self-reported mindfulness and soldier health following a combat deployment.

Self-reported mindfulness and soldier health following a combat deployment.

The association of distress tolerance and mindful awareness with mental health in first responders.

Mindfulness, Positive Affection and Cognitive Flexibility as Antecedents of Trait Resilience

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