The effects of mindfulness based stress reduction on students at a senior military college.

Abstract

This paper examines the effects of mindfulness training on students attending a senior military college in the United States. In a 4-week pilot study (n = 31) and a subsequent in-depth 8-week study (n = 66, 18 women), participants were randomly assigned to a mindfulness training group (MG) or a nutrition training control group (CG). Each group completed a 60 min weekly training workshop, 20 min of daily homework for the remaining 6 days, brief journal entries about the homework, and seven assessments at the start and the conclusion of the study. The duration, frequency, and intensity of training of the intervention and control group were identical. Results indicate a significant decrease in stress in the MG and no change in the CG. The MG also reported a significant increase in their overall score on the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire as well as the Observing, Describing, and Nonreactivity sub scores. CG changes did not reach significance on any of these variables. The sleep quality score on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) indicated improved sleep quality for the MG but not the CG. The PSQI sleep efficiency score indicated lower sleep efficiency for the CG but not the MG. Findings demonstrate the effectiveness of mindfulness training for lowering stress levels, improving sleep quality, and increasing the frequency of behaviors associated with positive mental health such as nonreactivity in a student body that experiences the stresses from both the academic and military rigor that characterizes senior military colleges.