Lee Seho, Kim Jin Hyung, Kim Hakseung, Kim Sung Ha, Park Sung Soo, Hong Chang Woo, Kwon Ki Tae, Lee Seung Hun, Kim Kyoung Soo, Choi Hoon, Kim Jung Bin, Kim Dong-Joo
Department of Artificial Intelligence, Korea University, 145, Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, 02841, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Department of AI Convergence, University of Ulsan, 93, Daehak-ro, Nam-gu, 44610, Ulsan, Republic of Korea.
BMC Psychol. 2025 Jan 7;13(1):13. doi: 10.1186/s40359-024-02322-3.
Military personnel face an increased risk of developing mental disorders owing to the stressful environments they encounter. Effective stress management strategies are crucial to mitigate this risk. Mindfulness training (MT) is promising as a stress management approach in such demanding settings. This study uses a quantitative approach to investigate the impact of MT on the relationship between the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and emotional regulation.
The study evaluated the effectiveness of MT in reducing stress among 86 military personnel. Participants were divided into two groups: MT (n = 42) and non-MT (n = 38). The study compared the two groups using measures of heart rate variability (HRV), a reliable indicator of ANS activity.
The MT group exhibited a significant increase in HRV (14.4%, p = 0.001) and alpha asymmetry (AA) in the frontal lobe (45.7%, p < 0.001) compared to the non-MT group. Notably, the MT group achieved significantly higher scores on the parachute landing fall (PLF) training performance (p < 0.001). These improvements in HRV, AA, and PLF performance were strongly correlated. Furthermore, AA fully mediated the relationship between HRV and PLF training performance.
The findings suggest that MT has a positive impact on stress resilience, potentially by mitigating anxiety and attention deficits induced by extreme stressors. These positive effects are facilitated by concurrent modulation of the frontal cortex and autonomic nervous system. Our findings provide insight into the neural mechanisms behind MT-induced stress reduction from the perspective of neuromodulation.
军事人员由于所处的压力环境，患精神障碍的风险增加。有效的压力管理策略对于降低这种风险至关重要。正念训练（MT）作为一种在这种高要求环境下的压力管理方法很有前景。本研究采用定量方法来调查MT对自主神经系统（ANS）与情绪调节之间关系的影响。
该研究评估了MT在减轻86名军事人员压力方面的有效性。参与者被分为两组：MT组（n = 42）和非MT组（n = 38）。该研究使用心率变异性（HRV）测量方法比较了两组，HRV是ANS活动的可靠指标。
与非MT组相比，MT组的HRV显著增加（14.4%，p = 0.001），额叶的α不对称性（AA）增加（45.7%，p < 0.001）。值得注意的是，MT组在伞降着陆（PLF）训练表现上取得了显著更高的分数（p < 0.001）。HRV、AA和PLF表现的这些改善密切相关。此外，AA完全介导了HRV与PLF训练表现之间的关系。
研究结果表明，MT对压力恢复力有积极影响，可能是通过减轻极端压力源引起的焦虑和注意力缺陷。额叶皮质和自主神经系统的同时调节促进了这些积极作用。我们的研究结果从神经调节的角度深入了解了MT诱导压力减轻背后的神经机制。
