The Effect of a Combined Mindfulness and Yoga Intervention on Soldier Mental Health in Basic Combat Training: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

A mindfulness and yoga intervention for U.S. Army soldiers in Basic Combat Training reduced positive screens for depression and sleep problems more than standard training alone. Depression screens fell 12.6% in the intervention group versus 7.2% in the control group. Sleep problems decreased 1.4% in the intervention group but increased 2.0% in the control group. Anxiety screens decreased over time in both groups with no significant difference between them. The findings suggest that mindfulness and yoga may help sustain mental health during high-stress military training.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Depression, anxiety, and sleep problems are prevalent in high-stress occupations including military service. While effective therapies are available, scalable preventive mental health care interventions are needed. This study examined the impact of a combined mindfulness and yoga intervention on the mental health of soldiers in Basic Combat Training (BCT). U.S. Army soldiers (N = 1,896) were randomized by platoon to an intervention or training-as-usual condition. Soldiers in the intervention condition completed Mindfulness-Based Attention Training (MBAT), engaged in daily 15 min mindfulness practice, and participated in 30 minutes of hatha yoga 6 days per week. Surveys were administered at baseline (T1, prior to training), week 4 of BCT (T2), week 6 (T3), and week 9 (T4). A significant time-by-condition interaction predicting positive screens for depression found that screens decreased at a faster rate from T1 to T4 in the intervention condition (-12.6%) compared to training-as-usual (-7.2%) (b = -0.18, SE = 0.07, p = 0.028). While positive anxiety screens decreased over time across conditions, the time-by-condition interaction found no significant differences in the rate of these decreases by condition (b = 0.09, SE = 0.09, p = 0.273). A significant time-by-condition interaction predicting positive screens for sleep problems found that sleep problems decreased in the intervention condition (-1.4%) but increased in training-as-usual (2.0%) (b = -0.68, SE = 0.16, p = 0.027). The mindfulness and yoga intervention was associated with a greater reduction in positive screens for depression and sleep problems among soldiers during high-stress training. Limitations include reliance on self-report and the inability to disaggregate the effects of mindfulness versus yoga. Mindfulness and yoga may enable personnel in high-stress occupations to sustain their mental health even in the context of significant psychological demands. This trial is registered with NCT05550610.