The Benefit of Mental Skills Training on Performance and Stress Response in Military Personnel

Abstract

Mental skills training (MST) has been suggested to reduce stress in civilian and athletic populations, however, whether these techniques and practices transfer to a military population are unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate two MST programs against a baseline condition, training-as-usual (TAU), during an intense, active-duty, military training environment. Two hundred and three Marines enrolled in the United States Marine Corps' Basic Reconnaissance Course participated in this effort (n = 203; age = 22.7 ± 3.3 years; height = 178 ± 6.35 cm; weight = 97.7 ± 8.3 kg; Mean ± SD). Each Marine was assigned to one of three groups, Mindfulness-Based Mind Fitness Training (MMFT), General Mental Skills Training (GMST), or TAU. Operational and cognitive performance measures, as well as, physiological metrics were obtained across three training phases (phase 1-3). Furthermore, phase 3 was sub-divided into pre-ambush, ambush and post-ambush time points. Significant group × time interactions were found for the total number of errors committed on the sustained attention response task (p = 0.004); as well as, plasma cortisol (p < 0.0001) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1; p < 0.0001). There were mixed results between groups on operational performance tasks with the MST groups tending to perform better than TAU the more time participants had with MST instruction. During ambush, the differences among groups were especially pronounced for measures of information processing that one would expect MST to enhance: coordinates recall, plot time, and plot accuracy (p < 0.001), with improvements ranging from 24.7 to 87.9% for the MST conditions when compared to TAU. These data demonstrate that independent of the specific type of MST program, the fundamental characteristics of stress regulation embedded within each MST program may enhance performance and cognitive function during time of heightened stress.

Can Physiological and Psychological Factors Predict Dropout from Intense 10-Day Winter Military Survival Training?

“…In line with this theory, previous studies have shown that adaptation to psychological distress occurs during basic training period [47,48]. Although psychological metrics did not show prediction of drop out, in general, enhancing mental skills have shown to be beneficial for soldiers in order to improve cognition and stress control during stressful environment, such as the field training [49].…”

Mental skills in the armed forces: A scoping review.

“…The most frequently referred outcomes resulting from the interventions were focused in areas of improved skills or increased usage and decreases in burdensome psychosocial aspects (i.e., anxiety or depression). Regarding improvements, some outcomes included higher levels of reported self-confidence (Adler, Bliese, et al, 2015; Adler, Williams et al, 2015; Hammermeister et al, 2009), improved interpersonal communication (Bui et al, 2018; Fischer et al, 2013; Lester et al, 2011; Perlman et al, 2010), greater psychological health (Cohn & Pakenham, 2008; Lester, Liang, et al, 2016; Saltzman et al, 2016), improved performance on physical tasks (Adler, Bliese, et al, 2015; Jensen et al, 2020; Jha et al, 2017), greater resilience and coping skills (Kees & Rosenblum, 2015; Pickering et al, 2010; Sylvia et al, 2020), and enhanced connection with family or transition out of the armed forces environment (DeFraia et al, 2014; Harper et al, 2014). Outcomes involving a decrease in negative psychosocial experiences included decreases in post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms (Adler et al, 2009; Blevins et al, 2011; Hilton et al, 2019), lowered depression scores or reduction of depression symptoms (Blevins et al, 2011; Dodge et al, 2018; Kees et al, 2015; Sylvia et al, 2015), and a reduction in anxiety or overall stress (Adler, Williams et al, 2015; Bui et al, 2018; Cohn & Pakenham, 2008; Judkins & Bradley, 2017; Kees & Rosenblum, 2015; Lester et al, 2013; Sylvia et al, 2020; Tenhula et al, 2014).…”

“…Mental skills have demonstrated success within athletic populations, performing artists, business professionals, police force officers, and military personnel (Anton et al, 2017). With the demonstrated benefits of mental skills within an armed forces context (Adler, Bliese, et al, 2015; Cohn & Pakenham, 2008; Fitzwater et al, 2018; Jensen et al, 2020; McCaslin et al, 2018; Taylor et al, 2011), it remains to be understood how these skills are applied and what format by which they are implemented.…”

Coping strategies and perceived stress in Russian army conscripts

“…The use of a perceived stress and coping strategies measurement combination is increasingly common in studies of law enforcement officers [3, 23, 24, et al]. It was shown that the use of productive coping strategies is associated with a lower severity of PTSD signs [25], enhancing performance and cognitive function [26] and the development of life skills [27], a decrease in psychological distress [28] and social anxiety [29]. However, this influence is largely determined by factors of the so-called "adaptogenic" context [30], i.e.…”