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Increasing Mindfulness Skills of Veterans With PTSD Through Daily Mindfulness Training Incorporated Into an Intensive Treatment Program

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Abstract

Objectives

Mindfulness training is frequently included as part of an integrative care approach to treating PTSD in veterans. However, the utility and acceptability of daily group mindfulness training in an intensive treatment program (ITP) for PTSD have not been explored. The study objectives were to determine: (a) whether mindfulness skills significantly increased from pre- to post-treatment and (b) if daily group mindfulness training was acceptable to veterans.

Methods

Veterans (N = 170 outpatients, age M = 40.7 (SD 9.3), 67.6% male) in this prospective study were consecutively enrolled in a 3-week ITP that included daily mindfulness group sessions. Mindfulness skills were assessed using the Five Facet of Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) at intake and post-treatment. Acceptability was assessed using an anonymous post-treatment program satisfaction survey.

Results

Paired t tests demonstrated significant increases in overall mindfulness skills from pre- to post-treatment (t(169) = − 6.33, p < 0.001, d = 0.49). Small to medium effect sizes were observed across subscales: describing, (t(169) = − 5.91, p < 0.001, d = 0.38); acting with awareness, (t(169) = − 3.70, p < 0.001, d = 0.29); nonjudging, (t(169) = − 7.54, p < 0.001, d = 0.58); and nonreactivity, (t(169) = − 4.84, p < 0.001, d = 0.41). Most veterans (n = 125, 74.4%) found daily mindfulness training moderately to very helpful.

Conclusions

Veterans’ mindfulness skills significantly increased over the course of a 3-week ITP, and mindfulness training was found acceptable. Mindfulness training can be delivered daily as part of an ITP for veterans with PTSD, and mindfulness skills can meaningfully increase over the course of 3 weeks. A significant limitation is the lack of control condition.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Wounded Warrior Project for their support of the Road Home Program and the resulting research. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health or Wounded Warrior Project.

Funding

Philip Held receives grant support from the Boeing Company and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation. Mark H. Pollack receives support from the Wounded Warrior Project and research funding from National Institutes of Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, 1645 W. Jackson Blvd, Suite 400, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA

    Michelle L. Miller, Jenna M. Bagley, Patricia Normand, Michael B. Brennan, Rebecca Van Horn, Mark H. Pollack & Philip Held

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  1. Michelle L. Miller
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  2. Jenna M. Bagley
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  3. Patricia Normand
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  7. Philip Held
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Contributions

MM and PH devised the project. MM completed the data analyses. MM and JB wrote substantial portions of the manuscript. PH edited all versions of the manuscript and wrote part of the Discussion. PN, PH, JB, and MM reviewed participants’ qualitative responses on the satisfaction survey of their experience of mindfulness training and determined themes. MP, PN, MB, and RVH have overseen the clinical program that was the foundation for data collection as well as collaborated in the writing of the manuscript. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript for submission.

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Correspondence to Michelle L. Miller.

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Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

The study procedures have been approved by the appropriate ethics committee and have been performed in accordance with the ethical standards laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments. A waiver of consent was obtained from the Rush University Medical Center IRB because all assessments were collected as part of routine care procedures.

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Miller, M.L., Bagley, J.M., Normand, P. et al. Increasing Mindfulness Skills of Veterans With PTSD Through Daily Mindfulness Training Incorporated Into an Intensive Treatment Program. Mindfulness 11, 964–974 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-020-01326-5

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