Novel adaptations of mindfulness in the UK Armed Forces during peacetime.
Ceri Bowen
Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps April 1, 2019 DOI: 10.1136/jramc-2018-001087 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation PTSD |
| Keywords | Health promotion Mental fitness Military Resilience |
| Key findings | Mindfulness interventions have been introduced in the UK Armed Forces and applied to veteran patient groups, with evidence suggesting they may improve engagement when offered as a further treatment option alongside other approaches. |
Abstract
Mindfulness approaches to promoting resilience and mental fitness within the UK Armed Forces have very recently emerged against a backdrop of studies from abroad, leading to a plethora of initiatives. These studies have used biological and cognitive markers of sustained attention and the human stress response, before and after training, in the period prior to deployment and made assertions of effectiveness on this basis. Progress has similarly been made in applying versions of mindfulness meditation to veteran patient groups with several difficult-to-treat conditions, to combat high dropout from services when little patient choice is offered. In short, a case has been made for offering mindfulness interventions as a further treatment option in combination with other approaches to maximise engagement with mental health services. Meanwhile, within the mindfulness literature more and more focus has been placed on ways to improve treatment fidelity and enhance teacher competency, and investment in teacher training is seen as essential for successful outcomes in any controlled trial.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical populations | 2003 | Review | |
| Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects | 2007 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Interventions | 2016 | Review | |
| Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation | 2017 | Review | |
| Mindfulness and acceptance: expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition | 2005 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cites 10
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression August 21, 2006
- Not all minds that wander are lost: the importance of a balanced perspective on the mind-wandering state Frontiers in Psychology 2013
- Mindfulness and psychological process. Emotion February 1, 2010
- Short-Form Mindfulness Training Protects Against Working Memory Degradation over High-Demand Intervals Journal of Cognitive Enhancement June 1, 2017
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy: culture clash or creative fusion? Contemporary Buddhism May 1, 2011
and 5 more in the library