Developing a mental toughness program for basic military training.
Kathleen M Saul, Michael D Young, Jenny M Siddiqi, Dale A Hirsch
Military psychology : the official journal of the Division of Military Psychology, American Psychological Association 2024 DOI: 10.1080/08995605.2023.2167467 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pilot program evaluation (three pilot studies with active control) Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Navy recruits in Recruit Training Command boot camp divisions |
| Interventions | Guided mindfulness exercises on-command focusing exercise |
| Dose | daily, 10-min guided mindfulness exercises; three "just-in-time" trainings in sports psychology skills |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Mental toughness Military Performance psychology |
| Key points | Across three pilot programs, on-time graduation rates favored the mental toughness condition in every pilot, while other results varied by pilot. The authors conclude that mental toughness practice may benefit performance during boot camp and shows predictable advantages for graduation rates. |
Abstract
To build a warfighter from the ground up, training should include not only the core competencies required for job performance in the Fleet but also the mental toughness expected to handle the stress, fatigue, and call for sudden action required of all sailors on duty, regardless of occupation. Recruit Training Command (RTC) has embarked on a program to provide explicit training to recruits on the development of toughness in boot camp. This program is multifaceted, including three pilot programs (two all-male pilots, one integrated/mixed gender pilot) for mental skill training. Recruit divisions were assigned to either mental toughness (MT) condition or active control (AC). The MT group received daily, 10-min guided mindfulness exercises, three "just-in-time" trainings in sports psychology skills, and an on-command focusing exercise. Results varied across the three pilots with the exception of on-time graduation rates, which favored the MT condition in every pilot. Taken together, the three MT pilot studies show possible benefits for performance during boot camp with MT practice, and predictable advantages for graduation rates.