Investigating Train the Trainer Delivery of Mindfulness-based Training

This project aims to evaluate the effectiveness of mindfulness training (MT) on cognitive and psychological factors when incorporated to the duty-day schedule of servicemembers (via proctored mindfulness practice). Based on prior literature, it can be hypothesized that the benefits of MT on measures of attention, working memory, and psychological well-being will be greater for servicemembers who engage in proctored mindfulness practice and receive duty-day support compared to servicemembers who practice independently, on their own time, with no structured duty day support.

Background: Prior research on mindfulness training (MT) in military servicemembers showed that MT can effectively protect against degradation in attention and working memory over high-demand intervals. The benefits of MT in servicemembers were also linked to greater engagement in mindfulness practice. These prior MT programs delivered their training via a direct delivery approach, which involved a mindfulness training expert (TE) providing training to an end-user (e.g., military servicemembers). While successful, these programs are poorly suited for rapid, large-scale dissemination because these programs require direct training from a mindfulness training expert to an end-user and a considerable amount of time dedicated to training. To overcome these issues, the principal investigator together with a mindfulness expert developed a mindfulness training program contextualized for the U.S. Army, known as MBAT (Mindfulness-Based Attention Training), that is amenable to the train-the-train delivery approach and can provide rapid, large-scale dissemination to thousands of individuals. Specifically, Master Resilience Trainer - Performance Expert specialists (PEs), who have extensive experience working with soldiers but no mindfulness experience, were trained to deliver the MBAT course.

Problem: While training PEs to deliver MBAT complies with the U.S. Army time constraints, it remains unclear what is the best way to incorporate daily mindfulness practice into the duty schedule of servicemembers, which has a pivotal contribution to the protection against decline over high-demand intervals.

Project Goal: The aim of the present study is to investigate the impact of proctored vs. non-proctored practice of MBAT delivered by a PE to servicemembers. To investigate this issue, a trained PE will deliver MBAT to two groups of soldiers who will differ in the amount of duty-day support received to complete out-of-class mindfulness exercises. One group will be assigned proctored practice incorporated in the daily physical training (PT) and another group will be assigned non-proctored practice during which participants will perform the exercise independently, on their own.

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

* English-speaking
* Active duty military
* Able to understand and provide signed informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

* Non-controlled severe medical disease that might interfere with the performance of the study.
* Any other condition the investigator might deem problematic for the inclusion of the volunteer in a trial of this nature will also be considered.