Publication year
2015
Citation Title
Longitudinal evaluation of the relationship between mindfulness, general distress, anxiety, and PTSD in a recently deployed national guard sample.
Journal Name
Mindfulness
Journal Volume
6
Issue Number
6
Page Numbers
1303-1312
DOI
10.1007/s12671-015-0400-0
Summary
Post-deployment self-report data were used to examine the effects mindfulness has on general distress, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms of recently deployed Army National Guard members. Results indicated that mindfulness was associated with reduced distress, anxiety, and some symptoms of PTSD.
Key Findings
Higher levels of mindfulness at three months post-deployment predicted lower levels of distress at 15 months post-deployment, after controlling for distress, combat zone deployment, and combat experience.
After controlling for anxiety level at three months, combat zone deployment, and combat experience, mindfulness was associated with lower levels of anxiety at 15 months post-deployment.
Higher levels of mindfulness at three months post-deployment did not predict lower levels of PTSD at 15 months post-deployment overall, but did predict lower hyperarousal symptoms.
Implications for Program Leaders
Provide mindfulness education and training to Service members to promote resilience prior to deployment
Offer workshops during reintegration to help Service members and their families adjust to the Service members' return
Disseminate information regarding possible mental health symptoms Service members may encounter when returning from deployment and encourage the use of mindfulness-based skills to help Service members cope
Implications for Policy Makers
Promote the development of programs that teach Service members mindfulness-based skills to promote resilience
Encourage collaboration among DoD programs and community-based organizations to help support Service members as they reintegrate after deployment
Recommend education for service providers regarding the potential usefulness of mindfulness-based skills for recently deployed Service members
Methods
Army National Guard Soldiers from aviation or infantry battalions, who were deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq in 2011, were recruited during a pre-deployment Solider Readiness Processing drill weekend.
Data were collected as part of a larger longitudinal study that examine pre- and post-deployment predictors of post-deployment combat stress.
Guard Soldiers completed two post-deployment measures at three months and 15 months post-deployment during post-deployment drill weekends.
Participants
One hundred and ninety eight National Guard Soldiers completed both post-deployment measures; most participants were infantry members (n = 146).
The majority of participants were male (92.5%), White (71.9%), and between the ages of 18-60 years.
Guard Soldiers were deployed for an average of seven to eight months.
Limitations
The sample consisted of National Guard Soldiers, therefore results may not be generalizable to other service branches.
Mindfulness measures were administered during post-deployment, making it difficult to know Guard Soliders level of mindfulness prior to deployment and how deployment may have impacted levels of mindfulness.
This study utilized self-reported data, which may not accurately capture mindfulness-based skills and limits the conclusions that can be drawn about Guard Soliders mindfulness skills.
Avenues for Future Research
Explore which aspects of mindfulness are most helpful for fostering resilience among Service members
Explore how to effectively integrate mindfulness-based skills into training and treatment approaches for Service members
Assess mindfulness during pre-deployment as well as during post-deployment to more accurately evaluate the effects of mindfulness over time
Focus
National Guard
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
Mindfulness has increasingly been shown to be a resilience-promoting factor against the negative effects of stress and anxiety. While there is considerable literature evidencing that higher levels of mindfulness are associated with decreased stress and anxiety in civilian cross-sectional studies, fewer studies have examined this relationship utilizing longitudinal designs with recently deployed National Guard soldiers. The present study examined the resilience-promoting effects of mindfulness on symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and general distress with members of Aviation (N = 52) and Infantry (N = 146) battalions of the Army National Guard who recently returned from deployment. Each study participant completed measures at two time points (3 and 12 months post-deployment) to examine whether mindfulness predicted symptom reporting over time. Overall, findings suggest that time 1 mindfulness is a significant predictor of time 2 general distress, anxiety, and the hyperarousal symptom cluster, but not time 2 total PTSD. Consistent with previous studies, these findings suggest that mindfulness measures may be useful for identifying soldiers at risk and resilient for post-deployment psychological distress. The implications for different diagnostic frameworks and criteria are considered.
Abstract Document
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