title: Impact of Mindfulness Training on Physiological Measures of Stress and Objective Measures of Attention Control in a Military Helicopter Unit.
abstract: Objective: This study sought to determine if mindfulness training (MT) has a measurable impact on stress and attentional control as measured by objective physiological and psychological means.Background: Periods of persistent, intensive work demands are known to compromise recovery and attentional capacity. The effects of 4-month MT on salivary cortisol and performance on 2 computer-based cognitive tasks were tested on a military helicopter unit exposed to a prolonged period of high workload.Methods: MT participants were compared to a wait list control group on levels of saliva cortisol and performance on a go-no go test and a test of stimulus-driven attentional capture. Participants also reported mental demands on the go-no go test, time of wakeup, sleep duration, quality of sleep, outcome expectancies, physical activity level, self-perceived mindfulness, and symptoms of depression and anxiety.Results: The results from a mixed between-within analysis revealed that the MT participants compared to the control group had a larger pre to post increase in high- and low-cortisol slopes, and decrease in perceived mental demand imposed by the go-no go test.Conclusion: MT alleviates some of the physiological stress response and the subjective mental demands of challenging tasks in a military helicopter unit during a period of high workload.
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Armed Forces Medical Services, Institute of Aviation Medicine , Oslo , Norway.
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meland
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Health Care Sciences, Jikei Institute , Osaka , Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuma
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishimatsu
authors.affiliation: Norwegian School of Sport Sciences , Oslo , Norway.
authors.forename: Anne Marte
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pensgaard
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Armed Forces Medical Services, Institute of Aviation Medicine , Oslo , Norway.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wagstaff
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Armed Forces Medical Services, Institute of Aviation Medicine , Oslo , Norway.
authors.forename: Vivianne
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fonne
authors.affiliation: National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Denmark, and Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen , Denmark.
authors.forename: Anne Helene
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Garde
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen , Bergen , Norway.
authors.forename: Anette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Harris