Mindfulness Training in U.S. Army Cohorts
Condition: Psychological Stress; Anxiety; Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; Depression; Cognitive Change
MeSH terms: Stress Disorders, Traumatic; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Stress, Psychological
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This project aims to contextualize delivery of mindfulness training to U.S. Army personnel,
      evaluate its effectiveness on measures of executive functions and psychological well-being,
      and determine best practices for its delivery.
    

Detailed description: 
      Background: An individual's success in the U.S. Army relies on many factors including the
      integrity of executive functions (EFs). EFs comprise a complex, multi-faceted brain system
      necessary to pay attention, overcome habitual and automatic behaviors, regulate mood, and
      ensure that current behavior is in line with short and long-term goals.Yet, protracted
      periods of high uncertainty, high demands, and high stress can lead to decreases in the
      efficiency and availability of EFs. Given the high demands and psychological vulnerabilities
      that U.S. Army personnel may face, it is critical to provide them with training programs to
      protect against degradation of EFs (particularly attention and working memory) over
      high-stress, high-demand intervals. Prior research on mindfulness training (MT) in civilians
      and military servicemembers showed that MT can effectively protect against degradation in
      attention and working memory and benefit psychological well-being over high-demand intervals.

      Problem: While being successful, prior MT programs required a considerable amount of time
      dedicated to training (e.g., 24-hour training) and it is challenging to integrate these long
      programs into the busy schedule of the U.S. Army personnel. To accommodate the time
      constraints, the principal investigator together with a mindfulness expert developed a
      short-form mindfulness training program contextualized for the U.S. Army; the program
      consists of 8-hour training and is known as MBAT, Mindfulness-Based Attention Training.

      Project Goal: The present study aims to investigate the best practices for delivery of a
      short-form mindfulness training to U.S. Army Cohorts. Specifically, the present study will
      examine the best delivery structure for the MBAT by comparing MBAT course delivered in 2
      weeks vs. 4 weeks.
    

Intervention name(s): 4-week MBAT; 2-week MBAT
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): The training is known as Mindfulness-Based Attention Training, or MBAT. The MBAT program is based on the principles of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, but contextualized for military personnel using themes relevant to military life. The training content is comprised of four central themes: concentration, body awareness, open monitoring, and compassion. This content will be delivered in 4, 2-hour sessions over 4 weeks. Participants will be assigned homework mindfulness practice during the interval of course delivery as well as for the few weeks following the end of the course.; The training is known as Mindfulness-Based Attention Training, or MBAT. The MBAT program is based on the principles of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, but contextualized for military personnel using themes relevant to military life. The training content is comprised of four central themes: concentration, body awareness, open monitoring, and compassion. This content will be delivered in 4, 2-hour sessions over 2 weeks. Participants will be assigned homework mindfulness practice during the interval of course delivery as well as for the few weeks following the end of the course.
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Intervention model description: Participants will be assigned into three groups: (i) a 4-week MT group (MT4, n = 40) that will receive MBAT in 4, 2-hour sessions over 4 weeks; (ii) a 2-week MT group (MT2, n = 40) that will receive MBAT in 4, 2-hour sessions over 2 weeks; (iii) a no-training control group that will be tested before and after a no-training interval (NTC4, n = 40). After the end of the course sessions, participants from the training groups will still be assigned homework exercises until third testing session (T3). Hence, the MBAT program consists of delivery of the MBAT course, including homework mindfulness practice, and followed by an interval of homework mindfulness practice without course meetings.
The design relies on group randomization at the level of individual military cohort units. This is due to the military requirement that organic unit structure can be maintained during testing and course session scheduling.
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Basic Science