Relax while you rehabilitate: A pilot study integrating a novel, yoga-based mindfulness group intervention into a residential military brain injury rehabilitation program.
Martha A Combs, Edan A Critchfield, Jason R Soble
Rehabilitation psychology May 2018 DOI: 10.1037/rep0000179 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 19 |
| Population | Veterans and active duty service members with a history of traumatic brain injury (63% severe) in an inpatient Veterans Affairs Polytrauma Transitional Rehabilitation Program |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Participation in a weekly mindfulness and yoga group was positively associated with participants' self-reported beliefs that mindfulness benefited overall health, physical health, mood, focus, and self-awareness. More groups attended was associated with more positive beliefs about overall health and mood, controlling for length of rehabilitation stay. The authors suggest mindfulness skills may be worth introducing in multidisciplinary rehabilitation for military populations with TBI. |
Abstract
This preliminary, pilot study assessed the effectiveness of a group-based, mindfulness intervention in a residential, rehabilitation setting with specific focus on assessing participants' self-report of perceived benefit of the intervention on overall health, pain, sleep, mood/anxiety, attention, and self-awareness, as well as implementing modifications needed for successful intervention application among a diverse, clinical military population. Participants were 19 veterans and active duty service members with a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI; 63% severe) who completed a mindfulness-based group intervention during inpatient admission at a Veterans Affairs Polytrauma Transitional Rehabilitation Program (PTRP). Mindfulness and yoga skills were taught in a required, weekly group incorporated into participants' rehabilitation schedule. Opinions and attitudes about mindfulness, as well as pertinent self-report outcome measures, were obtained pre- and postgroup participation. Results suggested that participation in the group was positively associated with individuals' self-reported belief about the benefit of mindfulness in the areas of overall health, physical health, mood, focus, and self-awareness. The more groups attended, the more positive the participants' beliefs about potential impact on overall health and mood became, even while controlling for length of rehabilitation stay. Additionally, several specific group modifications relevant to this population (e.g., physical/environmental modifications, repetition, ignoring/reorienting) were implemented to support successful participation. These preliminary and exploratory findings suggest that it may be worthwhile for psychologists, clinicians, and other health care providers working with a mixed TBI population, and more specifically a military population with TBI, to consider introducing mindfulness skills as part of multidisciplinary rehabilitation. (PsycINFO Database Record
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- A brief mindfulness-based intervention for stress, pain, emotion and attention regulation in military service members with mild traumatic brain injury. Journal of Clinical Psychology August 1, 2024
- Acceptability of a Brain-Injury-Tailored Yoga and Meditation Program Among Female Patients with Concussion. Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine June 27, 2025
- Yoga, Meditation, and Mindfulness for Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury: A Scoping Review. Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine March 1, 2026
- "Hidden gains"? Measuring the impact of mindfulness-based interventions for people with mild traumatic brain injury: a scoping review. Brain Injury July 29, 2022
- Mindfulness-based interventions for military veterans: A systematic review and analysis of the literature. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice February 2021
and 1 more in the library
Cites 3
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, and Zen Meditation for Depression, Anxiety, Pain, and Psychological Distress Journal of Psychiatric Practice July 1, 2012
- Pilot evaluation of a mindfulness-based intervention to improve quality of life among individuals who sustained traumatic brain injuries. Disability and Rehabilitation July 8, 2003
- An outpatient program in behavioral medicine for chronic pain patients based on the practice of mindfulness meditation: theoretical considerations and preliminary results. General Hospital Psychiatry April 1, 1982