Mindfulness Training in Special Operations Forces (SOF) Candidates

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Cognitive Change
• Interventions: Behavioral: MBAT course

• Registration Number: NCT04703296
• Lead Sponsor: University of Miami

Brief Summary

The overarching goal of this study is to develop, deliver, and investigate the utility and feasibility of train-the-trainer delivery of mindfulness training (MT) in support of improved readiness (across cognitive, affective, and social domains of the human dimension) and improve retention of candidates in the SOF qualification pipeline at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School (referred to as SWCS).

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2021-01-07
• Study First Submitted QC: 2021-01-07
• Study First Posted: 2021-01-11
• Study Start: 2022-03-16
• Primary Completion: 2022-12-07
• Status Verified: 2023-01
• Study Completion: 2023-01-09
• Last Update Submitted: 2023-01-11
• Last Update Posted: 2023-01-12

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 245

Inclusion Criteria

• Individuals who are between 18 and 65 years of age.
• Individuals who are fluent English speakers.
• Individuals who are active-duty service members.
• Men and women of all races and ethnicities.
• Individuals who are willing and able to consent to participate in the study.
• Individuals who are attending Special Warfare Center and School (SWCS).

Exclusion Criteria

• Individuals who have a medical or neurological condition that might interfere with performance on the task in the study (e.g., epilepsy)
• Individuals with a history of hospitalization for psychological/mental health issues within the last 6 months.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Mindfulness training (MT) group	MBAT course	Receives 4 weeks of mindfulness training followed by a testing session.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in Attentional Performance	Baseline (week 1) to week 6 (after 4-week training interval)	Attentional Performance as measured by the Sustained Attention Response Task (SART). SART has a range of scores from 0 to 1 with a higher score indicating better accuracy of completing the task.
Change in Working Memory Performance	Baseline (week 1) to week 6 (after 4-week training interval)	Working Memory Performance as measured by the Working Memory Task with Affective Distracters (WMDA). WMDA has a range of scores from 0 to 100%, with higher scores indicating better accuracy on the task.
Change in Cognitive Failures	Baseline (week 1) to week 6 (after 4-week training interval)	Cognitive Failures will be measured by the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ). CFQ has total score ranging from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating more cognitive failures.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in Positive Affect	Baseline (week 1) to week 6 (after 4-week training interval)	Positive Affect will be measured by the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS-10). The PANAS Positive has a range of scores from 5 to 25, with higher score indicating higher positive mood.
Change in Psychological Health	Baseline (week 1) to week 6 (after 4-week training interval)	Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-4) will be used to assess depression and anxiety. PHQ-4 has a range of scores from 0 to 12, with higher scores indicating higher level of depression and anxiety.
Change in Mind Wandering	Baseline (week 1) to week 6 (after 4-week training interval)	Four Factor Mind Wandering (4FMW) Questionnaire is a 16-item scale that asks participants to indicate how often they experience a situation described in the form of a statement on a 5-point Likert-type scale from never (1) to always (5). 4FMW has a range of scores from 16 to 80, with higher scores indicating greater mind wandering.
Change in Negative Affect	Baseline (week 1) to week 6 (after 4-week training interval)	Negative Affect will be measured by the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS-10). The PANAS Negative has a range of scores from 5 to 25, with higher score indicating higher negative mood.
Change in Perceived Stress	Baseline (week 1) to week 6 (after 4-week training interval)	The short version of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) will be used assess perceived stress. The 4-item PSS has a range of scores from 0 to 16, with higher score indicating higher level of perceived stress.
Change in Decentering	Baseline (week 1) to week 6 (after 4-week training interval)	EQ Decentering is an 11-item sub-scale measuring various thoughts and experiences, and the tendency to distance from those. The decentering score ranges from 1 to 55, with a higher score indicating high level of decentering.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Miami; 🇺🇸 Coral Gables, Florida, United States