From "Hooah" to "Om": Mindfulness Practices for a Military Population

Abstract

Mindfulness practices, in general, have a growing body of evidence of effectiveness for improving both physical health and mental health. Further, these practices are showing promise when implemented with military populations for mental health issues such as PTSD. Challenges arise for practitioners in understanding the military's cultural differences and the functional aspects of mindfulness that may be specifically useful to military members. We outline strategies for referring military members to quality services and instruction, as well as best practices for connecting with military clients. Recommendations are made for further research with female service members and using single case design.