Navy warfighter perspectives on mindfulness practices for combat readiness.
Leigh Ann Perry, Lisa M. Kerr
Military psychology : the official journal of the Division of Military Psychology, American Psychological Association April 3, 2026 DOI: 10.1080/08995605.2026.2652729 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | U.S. Navy Sailors who participated in educational sessions on mindfulness for warfighting readiness |
| Intervention | Educational sessions introducing the science and practical application of mindfulness for warfighting readiness |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Stress, psychological Qualitative research Adult Military personnel United states Female Resilience, psychological Coping skills Performance Warfighter readiness |
| Key findings | Sailors reported that mindfulness practices could support readiness by increasing focus, fostering resilience, aiding stress management and emotion regulation, and improving decision-making under stress. They also identified barriers including operational demands and competing priorities, skepticism and lack of understanding, and the need for institutional support and leadership integration. The authors conclude that USN warfighters view mindfulness as a meaningful, feasible, and relevant tool for cognitive fitness and psychological readiness. |
Abstract
Mindfulness practices have been empirically linked to enhancements in cognitive performance, attention, emotion regulation, and resilience, all of which are essential capacities for military personnel engaged in sustained high-stress environments. However, little research has examined how U.S. Navy (USN) warfighters perceive the relevance and applicability of mindfulness practices for warfighter readiness. This study analyzes qualitative feedback from USN Sailors who participated in educational sessions introducing the science and practical application of mindfulness for warfighting readiness. Data were collected through a survey. Inductive thematic analysis revealed consistent themes related to the participants' perceived benefits of and barriers to incorporating mindfulness practices among the fleet as a part of enhancing Sailor readiness. Four themes related to the benefits of mindfulness practices for readiness emerged, including increasing focus for mission readiness, fostering resilience through adaptive readiness, promoting stress management and emotion regulation, and improving decision-making under stress. Three themes related to perceived barriers and their mitigation emerged, including operational demands and competing priorities, skepticism and lack of understanding, and institutional support and leadership integration. Findings suggest that mindfulness practices are viewed by USN warfighters as a meaningful, feasible, and relevant tool for strengthening cognitive fitness and psychological readiness for sustained combat.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on meditation, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cites 6
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Mindfulness Interventions Annual Review of Psychology September 30, 2016
- A randomized controlled trial of mindfulness meditation versus relaxation training: Effects on distress, positive states of mind, rumination, and distraction Annals of Behavioral Medicine February 1, 2007
- Neurobiological Changes Induced by Mindfulness and Meditation: A Systematic Review. Biomedicines November 15, 2024
- Mindfulness Training in Military Settings: Emerging Evidence and Best-Practice Guidance. Current Psychiatry Reports June 1, 2025
and 1 more in the library