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Culturally Aware Mindfulness Training for Army Leaders: A Scalable Solution to Strengthen Mental Readiness

Katherine Dutler

November 21, 2025 DOI: 10.56902/etdcrp.2025.84 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Qualitative study
Population U.S. Army soldiers participating in focus groups
Intervention Mindfulness practices
Topics Meditation
Key findings Argues that daily mindfulness practices can function as a cost-effective, scalable force-multiplier for U.S. Army psychological readiness by reducing symptom burden, raising distress tolerance, and sharpening performance, and proposes embedding them alongside physical training using culturally appropriate military language to overcome stigma, waitlists, and civilian-centric messaging.

Abstract

This doctoral paper examines cost-effective, easily distributed mindfulness practices as a force-multiplier for psychological readiness in the U.S. Army. Daily mindfulness reduces symptom burden, raises distress tolerance, and sharpens performance—all without added equipment, appointments, or cost. However, stigma, long waitlists, and civilian-centric messaging still deter soldiers from adapting mindfulness practices. Rather than replacing clinicians, the program functions as preventive maintenance and a bridge while soldiers await care, thereby easing load on an overtaxed system. By embedding mental fitness alongside physical PT, the Army can advance its mandate to “deploy, fight, and win” with forces that are both mentally and physically ready. The findings provide a scalable template for integrating low-burden mental readiness training across the force. Drawing on the lived experience of focus group participants, this project introduces mindfulness framed in culturally appropriate military language.

Comparable studies

Other qualitative studies on meditation, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
The varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western Buddhists Western Buddhist meditation practitioners and experts in Theravāda, Zen, and Tibetan... 2017 Qualitative study with mixed-methods
The Effects of Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction on Nurse Stress and Burnout Nurses in a hospital system 2004 Implementation study with mixed methods
An exploratory mixed methods study of the acceptability and effectiveness of mindfulness -based cognitive therapy for patients with active depression and anxiety in primary care Primary care patients with recurrent depression or recurrent depression and anxiety 2006 Exploratory mixed methods study n = 13
A qualitative study of mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy for depression Participants in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in a mental-health context 2001 Qualitative study n = 7
Effortless awareness: using real time neurofeedback to investigate correlates of posterior cingulate cortex activity in meditators' self-report Meditators 2013 Qualitative study using grounded theory methodology

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