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Maxwell, University of Miami provide mindfulness training to military spouses

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Alexa Culbert
  • 42nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs
MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. --  Maxwell hosts the Mindfulness-Based Attention Training for Military Spouses Project Launch Event Sept. 16, 2015, held at the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force base, Alabama.

Maxwell and Air University are partnering with the University of Miami in a DOD funded research project to offer mindfulness and compassion training to military spouses and investigate the effectiveness of a training program to promote better concentration skills.

Guest speakers Dr. Amishi Jha, University of Miami neuroscientist and associate professor, and Lt. Col. Jannel MacAulay, Ph.D., military wellness expert, explained the program and how military spouses could benefit from it.

"This is an opportunity to reflect and take care of yourself and this study is one of those ways that you can do that...mindfulness training is going to help in a mental capacity, we're going to give you education and skills and the great thing about Maxwell is that it is a great place to build a powerful community," said MacAulay.

One hundred and twenty volunteers are needed for the study. During the week of October 12, spouses will participate in one 2-hour session of computerized tasks and surveys. 80 spouses will then receive mindfulness training over the subsequent four weeks; the 40 remaining spouses will receive mindfulness training in the spring. All spouses will return for a second round of testing during the week of November 16. After this point, eight volunteers will receive additional training on how to teach the course themselves, and then teach a mindfulness course to other spouses in the spring.

The goal of the program is to have the spouses proficient in the training so they can become trainers themselves and take it with them from base to base.

"I would ask all military spouses that are eligible to volunteer because we think it will help their own wellbeing and attention," said Jha.

Volunteers can be active duty or civilian and must be in a relationship with an active duty or retired military member.

Non-DOD civilians can receive a $40 compensation for their participation in the study.
To sign up for the research project or for more information contact the Jha Lab personnel at mbat.spouse@gmail.com.