Mindfulness-based interventions for military veterans: A systematic review and analysis of the literature.
William R. Marchand, Kristin Sandoval, Ryan Lackner, Suzanne C Parker, Tracy Herrmann, Brandon Yabko, Tania Velasquez, Lacey Lewis, Jorie Butler
Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice February 2021 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2020.101274 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Military Veterans, based on 27 reviewed studies whose samples were 85% male and 76% white |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Posttraumatic stress disorder Systematic review Veterans |
| Key findings | The authors conclude that mindfulness-based interventions hold promise as complementary adjunctive interventions for Veterans with PTSD and possibly other psychiatric disorders, and that MBSR, PCBMT, and MBCT can be recommended as adjunctive interventions for reducing PTSD symptoms. They caution that the literature lacks rigorous randomized controlled trials and generalizes poorly to female and non-white Veterans. |
Abstract
In recent years, mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have experienced exponential growth in terms of development, application, and research. However, few studies have examined implementation and efficacy of these interventions in particular populations, such as military Veterans. Such studies are needed as one cannot assume that the literature on MBIs implemented with the general population or other specific populations apply equally well to Veterans. This population is unique regarding professional competencies, military ethos, high degrees of medical comorbidities and barriers to treatment. The aim of this work was to review and summarize the literature over the previous five years (2014-2020) assessing the use of MBIs among military Veterans to guide clinical care and future research. Systematic literature review. A total of 88 articles were found. Screening titles and abstracts resulted in 49 articles being excluded. The remaining 39 articles were read in full, and of these, 12 were excluded due to not fully meeting the inclusion criteria. Thus, the present review included a total of 27 articles, 3 of which used qualitative methods and 24 of which used quantitative methods. MBIs hold promise as complementary adjunctive interventions for Veterans with PTSD and possibly other psychiatric disorders. Currently there are significant gaps in the literature that must be addressed to move the field forward. The main deficiency is, with a few exceptions, the lack of rigorous RCTs. Another major concern is the lack of generalizability to female and non-white Veterans given that the subject samples across all studies reviewed were 85% male and 76% white. At this time, MBSR, PCBMT and MBCT can be recommended as adjunctive complementary interventions for the reduction of PTSD symptoms. Research recommendations to move the field forward are provided.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 9
- The effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on depression, PTSD, and mindfulness among military veterans: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Health Psychology Open 2024
- Mindfulness-Based Therapy for Military Populations with Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review. Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine September 1, 2024
- Veterans’ experiences with mindfulness-based eating: A mixed methods study on MB-SAVOR Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice February 11, 2022
- Mindfulness in Technology: Feasibility and Preliminary Efficacy of VR-Assisted Meditation Among Veterans With Disabilities. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy 2026
- Mindfulness in U.S. Military Veterans: Prevalence, Correlates, and Functional Significance. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy 2025
and 4 more in the library
Cites 25
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mindfulness Interventions Annual Review of Psychology September 30, 2016
- Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation Perspectives on Psychological Science October 10, 2017
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression August 21, 2006
- Conceptual and methodological issues in research on mindfulness and meditation. American Psychologist October 1, 2015
and 20 more in the library