Thomas H. Nassif

While research has documented the beneficial effects of greater formal as well as informal mindfulness practice in mindfulness training programs, it is less clear what drives informal practice engagement. In a high-stakes occupational context like the military, where performance is paramount, leader behaviors that support mindfulness training may influence individuals' engagement in informal practice. In a study assessing a combined mindfulness training and yoga intervention, 813 soldiers attending 10 weeks of basic combat training were surveyed at two time points about their informal practice of mindfulness and their perceptions of leader support for mindfulness training. More than one third of participants reported engaging in informal practice at least 3 days per week (343 [48.0%] at 4 weeks and 249 [36.9%] at 9 weeks); participants most frequently reported informally practicing when they felt stressed in training or in the barracks. Individuals reporting higher levels of leadership support for mindfulness training were more likely to report engaging in informal practice compared to those with lower levels of leadership support. This analysis controlled for sex, rank, previous mindfulness experience, and overall leadership ratings. The relationship between leader support for mindfulness and informal mindfulness practice was also found when examined in terms of specific practice contexts (e.g., engaging in a task, getting stressed). Exploratory models assessing group-level ratings of leadership resulted in similar findings. Future implementation efforts should further examine the influence of leader support for mindfulness training in the military and other high-stakes occupational contexts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Social cohesion is critical for personnel working on teams in high-stress occupational settings like the military. Building on recent findings, we examined the potential impact of a combined mindfulness training and yoga intervention on cohesion among soldiers in Basic Combat Training. In a group randomized trial, 40 military units ( n = 1,896) were randomly assigned to receive this intervention or training as usual. Surveys were administered at 4 times over 10 weeks. Mixed effects models were used to assess the impact of the intervention on cohesion across four time periods. In addition, the role of embedded individual mindfulness practice was analyzed. Results found that while there was no main effect of the intervention, soldiers who reported engaging in embedded mindfulness practice at least 3 times per week had higher sustained perceptions of cohesion compared to training as usual. Findings suggest mindfulness training and yoga may support unit cohesion in military units.

Introduction: Military relocations represent an opportunity for growth and a potential risk in terms of psychological adjustment. Although relocation is common in the military, little research has examined associated risk and protective factors. This study examined relocation stressors and facilitators and how they related to 3 forms of adjustment: loneliness, perceived stress, and work satisfaction. Since the first relocation experience may be particularly challenging, this study also compared relocation stressors and facilitators between soldiers arriving at their first duty station and those with previous relocation experience. Materials and Methods: Active duty soldiers (n = 242) at 2 U.S. military installations participated in an anonymous survey on military relocation. Relocation risk and protective factors were assessed using the Relocation Stressor Scale and the Relocation Facilitator Scale developed for this study. Primary outcomes included loneliness, perceived stress, and work satisfaction. To examine the extent to which the relocation stressor and facilitator scales predicted adjustment outcomes, hierarchical multiple regressions were conducted accounting for rank, marital status, having children, and first duty station. Results: Over half of participants rated relocation stressors related to affordable housing, loss of social support, moving logistics, and adjustment of the soldier’s family and spouse as at least “somewhat stressful.” Regarding relocation facilitators, a majority agreed that leaders and unit members were helpful after relocation. However, less than half reported that leaders and unit members were welcoming before relocation and only 1 in 3 reported their sponsor was helpful. Relocation stressors predicted more loneliness, more perceived stress, and less work satisfaction after adjusting for rank, marital status, having children, and first duty station. Likewise, relocation facilitators predicted less loneliness, less perceived stress, and more work satisfaction, after adjusting for the same demographics. Soldiers at their first duty station of assignment also reported higher levels of relocation stressors than those with prior relocation experience (P < .001); there was no difference between these 2 groups in terms of relocation facilitators (P = .297). Discussion: The findings offer insight into relocation stressors and facilitators and suggest the need to consider the stress of relocation from both a practical standpoint and an emotional one. Since the association between relocation variables and adjustment was evident even after accounting for rank, marital status, children, and first duty station, the results also suggest that intervening to address relocation stressors and enhance the level of relocation facilitators is important regardless of a soldier’s specific demographics. Nonetheless, soldiers experiencing their first relocation may understandably require more support in addressing their relocation stressors. While limited by cross-sectional self-report data from only 2 military posts, this study produced the first military Relocation Stressor Scale and Relocation Facilitator Scale. Taken together, results suggest steps that leaders, unit members, and the organization can take to help incoming soldiers better adjust to their new unit.

Background. 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). Methods. U.S. Army soldiers ( ) 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). Results. 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%) ( , , ). 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 ( , , ). 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%) ( , , ). Conclusion. 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.