Mindfulness-Based Mental Training in a High-Performance Combat Aviation Population: A One-Year Intervention Study and Two-Year Follow-Up

Abstract

This study tested the feasibility and value of mindfulness training (MT) in a Norwegian military combat aircraft squadron (n = 21). No objective measures of performance were included in this study. Subjective measures of mindfulness, mental skills, and performance-related anxiety were administered before and after the intervention, including a semistructured interview at the study’s conclusion after the intervention. Qualitative feedback and measures of mindfulness were collected via e-mail at 12 and 24 months during follow-up. During posttraining, there was a reduction in somatic anxiety related to performance and improvements in self-perceived skills associated with mindfulness, attention regulation, and arousal regulation. Mindfulness scores remained higher throughout the follow-up. Time-consuming plenary sessions and the amount of recommended, out-of-class training were found to be potential drawbacks of MT. Overall the findings indicate that MT might be a viable complement to existing mental training for high-performance populations.