Mindfulness as a mediator between trauma exposure and mental health outcomes: Results from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study.
Lorig K Kachadourian, Ilan Harpaz-Rotem, Jack Tsai, Steven M. Southwick, Robert H Pietrzak
Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice and Policy January 21, 2021 DOI: 10.1037/tra0000995 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cross-sectional survey study (secondary analysis of a nationally representative survey) Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,268 |
| Population | Trauma-exposed U.S. veterans participating in the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study; mean age 60.6 years (SD 15.2, range 20-94), 89.8% male, 75.0% Caucasian, 59.2% noncombat veterans |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Alcoholism Health surveys Stress disorders, post-traumatic Quality of life Middle aged Veterans United states Female Resilience, psychological Young adult Suicidal ideation Psychological trauma |
| Key findings | Mindfulness partially mediated the relationship between number of lifetime traumas and PTSD symptoms (β = -.55), alcohol use disorder (β = -.17), and quality of life (β = .38), and fully mediated the relationship with suicidal ideation (β = -.36). The authors conclude that interventions that bolster mindfulness may help mitigate the negative impact of cumulative traumas in this population. |
Abstract
Objective: Exposure to traumatic life events is associated with increased risk of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health problems such as suicidal ideation (SI), alcohol use disorder (AUD), and decreased quality of life (QOL). Mindfulness, which involves attending to the present moment, may help individuals cope with traumatic events by increasing acceptance of trauma-related experiences and decreasing trauma-related negative affect and avoidance of trauma reminders. The current study evaluated whether mindful attention to the present moment mediated the association between number of lifetime traumas and mental health.
Method: The sample consisted of 1,268 trauma-exposed U.S. veterans who participated in the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study, a nationally representative study of U.S. veterans. On average, the sample was 60.6 years of age (SD = 15.2, range = 20-94), predominantly male (89.8%), Caucasian (75.0%), and noncombat veterans (59.2%).
Results: Path analyses revealed that mindfulness partially mediated the relation between number of lifetime traumas and PTSD symptoms (β = -.55), AUD (β = -.17), and QOL (β = .38), and fully mediated the relation between number of lifetime traumas and SI (β = -.36).
Conclusions: The relationship between lifetime trauma burden and various mental health issues of relevance to U.S. veterans may be mediated by mindfulness, or the ability to pay attention to the present moment. Interventions that bolster mindfulness may help mitigate the negative impact of cumulative traumas in this population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups | 2008 | Cross-sectional study | |
| Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Adult participants | 2007 | Observational cross-sectional | n = 27 |
| Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). School-aged children and adolescents | 2011 | Cross-sectional validation study | n = 1,413 |
| Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators | 2012 | Cross-sectional study | n = 152 |
| Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Undergraduates | 2008 | Cross-sectional, correlational |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Brain stimulation enhances dispositional mindfulness in PTSD: an exploratory sham-controlled rTMS trial. Frontiers in Psychiatry 2025
- The Role of Counselor Trainees' Co-Regulated Mindfulness: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Study May 1, 2023
- Mindfulness in U.S. Military Veterans: Prevalence, Correlates, and Functional Significance. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy 2025
- Culturally Responsive Mindfulness for Trauma Recovery in Foster Youth. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma September 2026
- Awe Narratives: A Mindfulness Practice to Enhance Resilience and Wellbeing. Frontiers in Psychology April 14, 2022
Cites 5
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Assessment February 29, 2008
- Dispositional mindfulness mediates the relationships of parental attachment to posttraumatic stress disorder and academic burnout in adolescents following the Yancheng tornado. European Journal of Psychotraumatology May 17, 2018
- Mindfulness-based interventions for psychiatric disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review February 1, 2018
- Mindfulness-based treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder: a review of the treatment literature and neurobiological evidence. Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience October 2, 2017