Self-Reported Mindfulness and Soldier Health Following a Combat Deployment

• Published in: Psychological trauma 2019-05, Vol.11 (4), p.466-474
• Main Authors: Nassif, Thomas H., Start, Amanda R., Toblin, Robin L., Adler, Amy B.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Combat Experience; Female; Health; Health Impairments; Human; Male; Mental Health; Military Deployment; Military Personnel; Mindfulness; Pain; Posttraumatic Stress Disorder; Self-Report; Symptoms; Test Construction
• ISSN: 1942-9681; 1942-969X
• DOI: 10.1037/tra0000413

Objective: Combat exposure has been linked to health-related challenges associated with postcombat adjustment, including mental health symptoms, behavior-related problems, physical pain, and functional impairment. Mindfulness, or acceptance of the present moment without reactivity or judgment, may be associated with better mental health following a combat deployment. This study examined whether self-reported mindfulness predicted soldier health outcomes over the course of the postdeployment period. Method: U.S. soldiers (n = 627) were surveyed 4 months after a deployment to Afghanistan (T1) and again 3 months later (T2). Mindfulness was assessed using the nonreactivity to inner experience subscale of the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire. Hierarchical linear regressions examined how mindfulness (T1) moderated the impact of combat exposure (T1) on outcomes at T2. Results: Controlling for rank, the interaction between combat exposure and mindfulness significantly predicted posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, depression symptoms, risk-taking behaviors, pain symptoms, and functional impairment. The interaction term explained 1% to 2% of the variance in these health outcomes. Simple slopes analyses revealed that combat exposure was associated with more PTSD symptoms, depression symptoms, risk-taking behaviors, pain symptoms, and functional impairment when soldiers reported low levels of mindfulness. There was no effect for alcohol misuse, sleep difficulties, or aggressive behaviors. Conclusions: Nonreactivity to inner experience may mitigate the detrimental effects of high-levels of combat exposure on both mental and physical health outcomes. These findings indicate that mindfulness strategies such as nonreactivity may be particularly useful for employees facing potentially traumatic stressors in a high-risk occupational context. Clinical Impact Statement Combat exposure has been linked to mental and physical health problems. Given that mindfulness training has been shown to improve health status, this study examined whether self-reported mindfulness could protect soldiers from health problems following combat deployment. U.S. soldiers were surveyed at 4 months (for mindfulness and combat exposure) and at 7 months (for mental and physical health) following deployment. Among soldiers reporting low mindfulness, combat exposure was linked to more PTSD, depression, risky behaviors, functional impairment, and pain. Mindfulness training should be explor