The Effect of a Combined Mindfulness and Yoga Intervention on Soldier Mental Health in Basic Combat Training: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.
Thomas H Nassif, Ian A Gutierrez, Carl D Smith, Amishi P. Jha, Amy B Adler
Depression and Anxiety 2023 DOI: 10.1155/2023/6869543 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,896 |
| Population | U.S. Army soldiers in Basic Combat Training |
| Interventions | Mindfulness-Based Attention Training Hatha yoga |
| Dose | daily 15 min mindfulness practice; 30 minutes of hatha yoga 6 days per week |
| Duration | 9-week intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 7 |
| Registration | NCT05550610 |
| Key findings | Mindfulness and yoga training led to greater reductions in depression and sleep problems among soldiers during Basic Combat Training compared to training as usual. |
Abstract
Depression, anxiety, and sleep problems are prevalent in high-stress occupations including military service. While effective therapies are available, scalable preventive mental health care interventions are needed. This study examined the impact of a combined mindfulness and yoga intervention on the mental health of soldiers in Basic Combat Training (BCT). U.S. Army soldiers (N = 1,896) were randomized by platoon to an intervention or training-as-usual condition. Soldiers in the intervention condition completed Mindfulness-Based Attention Training (MBAT), engaged in daily 15 min mindfulness practice, and participated in 30 minutes of hatha yoga 6 days per week. Surveys were administered at baseline (T1, prior to training), week 4 of BCT (T2), week 6 (T3), and week 9 (T4). A significant time-by-condition interaction predicting positive screens for depression found that screens decreased at a faster rate from T1 to T4 in the intervention condition (-12.6%) compared to training-as-usual (-7.2%) (b = -0.18, SE = 0.07, p = 0.028). While positive anxiety screens decreased over time across conditions, the time-by-condition interaction found no significant differences in the rate of these decreases by condition (b = 0.09, SE = 0.09, p = 0.273). A significant time-by-condition interaction predicting positive screens for sleep problems found that sleep problems decreased in the intervention condition (-1.4%) but increased in training-as-usual (2.0%) (b = -0.68, SE = 0.16, p = 0.027). The mindfulness and yoga intervention was associated with a greater reduction in positive screens for depression and sleep problems among soldiers during high-stress training. Limitations include reliance on self-report and the inability to disaggregate the effects of mindfulness versus yoga. Mindfulness and yoga may enable personnel in high-stress occupations to sustain their mental health even in the context of significant psychological demands. This trial is registered with NCT05550610.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Mindfulness Training in Military Settings: Emerging Evidence and Best-Practice Guidance. Current Psychiatry Reports June 1, 2025
- The Association Between Mindfulness and Perceived Stress: A Meta‐Analysis Stress and Health July 18, 2026
- Evaluating Mindfulness Training as a Cognitive Performance Enhancement Tool: Insights from Two Pragmatic Cluster-Randomized Trials in an Elite Military Educational Setting Mindfulness April 1, 2026
Cites 6
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- What defines mindfulness-based programs? The warp and the weft Psychological Medicine December 29, 2016
- Emotion-related constructs engaged by mindfulness-based interventions: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Mindfulness May 2021
- Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on employees’ mental health: A systematic review PLoS One January 24, 2018
- The Emerging Role of Mindfulness Meditation as Effective Self-Management Strategy, Part 1: Clinical Implications for Depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Anxiety. Military Medicine September 1, 2016
and 1 more in the library