Effect of mindfulness-based training on quality of life and resilience of chemical warfare disabled veterans in Sardasht, Iran

Abstract

Aim of the study: Chemical warfare survivors are at risk of various psychological traumas due to physical problems caused by chemical weapons, which can affect the quality of life and resilience of these people. The aim of this research is to examine the effectiveness of mindfulness-based training for the quality of life and resilience of chemical warfare disabled veterans in Sardasht, Iran. Material and methods: This research is a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test and post-test design and a control group. The statistical population consists of all male disabled veterans in the city of Sardasht, 30 of whom were selected via convenience sampling and randomly divided into two groups, experimental and control (15 per each). The experimental group received the mindfulness-based plan during eight 1.5-hour sessions. The tools used in this research were the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL) questionnaires and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, which were used in two phases of pre-test and post-test, and the research data were assessed by SPSS v.22 and univariate analysis of covariance with adjustment of the pre-test effect. Results: There was a significant difference between the mean post-test scores of the experimental group and the control group. In other words, mindfulness-based intervention increased the quality of life (p < 0.001) as well as the resilience (p < 0.001) in chemical warfare disabled veterans. Conclusions: According to the findings, it can be concluded that the mindfulness-based plan increases the mental health and improve the quality of life of chemical warfare disabled veterans.