An Online Resilience Intervention for Military Personnel

Mind-body programs can improve mental health and well-being in military populations. This pilot study of a virtual synchronous resilience intervention was conducted from 2018 to 2020 among 26 military personnel. Participants completed self-report psychosocial questionnaires before and after the 6-week program, including measures of posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, stress, resilience, and mindfulness. The intervention included eliciting the relaxation response, adaptive coping strategies, and healthy behaviors. Pre-post changes were calculated using paired t tests and effect sizes (d). Significant improvements were found for depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-8), stress reactivity (Measure of Current Status-Abbreviated Scale), and mindfulness (Cognitive Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised). A 6-week resilience intervention can help military personnel improve mental health, coping, and stress management. [Psy-chiatr Ann. 2022;52(5):186-190.]