Novel adaptations of mindfulness in the UK Armed Forces during peacetime.
Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps April 1, 2019 Ceri Bowen
Mindfulness-based approaches for promoting resilience and mental fitness have recently been introduced in the UK Armed Forces, following studies from other countries that used biological and cognitive markers of sustained attention and stress response before and after training to claim effectiveness. Progress has also been made applying mindfulness meditation to veteran patient groups with difficult-to-treat conditions to reduce dropout when little patient choice is offered. The evidence suggests offering mindfulness interventions as an additional treatment option alongside other approaches to maximize engagement with mental health services. Within the mindfulness literature, improving treatment fidelity and teacher competency through investment in teacher training is seen as essential for successful outcomes in controlled trials.