248 jhn Quantitative Research Journal of Holistic Nursing American Holistic Nurses Association Volume 31 Number 4 December 2013 248-255 © The Author(s) 2013 10.1177/0898010113495975 http://jhn.sagepub.com jhn The Evaluation of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Veterans With Mental Health Conditions Lisa Kluepfel, DNP, PMHNP, RN James J. Peters VA Medical Center Duke University School of Nursing Terry Ward, PhD, RN Duke University School of Nursing Rachel Yehuda, PhD Eleni Dimoulas, PhD James J. Peters VA Medical Center Ann Smith, PhD Maryland VA Medical Center Kelly Daly, RYT James J.Peters VA Medical Center Purpose: To assess the feasibility of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for veterans with mental health conditions and to evaluate its efficacy on psychological well-being and stress reduction. Design: Single-group, pretest–posttest design. Method: 30 veterans within a mental health clinic of a VA (Veterans Administration) medical center were enrolled in an 8-week standard MBSR program. Perceived stress, sleep, mindfulness, and depression were measured via self-reports at baseline and study end. Feasibility was measured by compliance and satisfaction with the course. Findings: Scores on the Perceived Stress Scale (p =.002) and Beck Depression Inventory–II (p = .005) were significantly reduced (p = .002). The global measure for sleep from the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index improved significantly (p = .035). Satisfaction and compliance were high. Conclusion: MBSR is a feasible inter- vention that has potential efficacy for veterans with mental health conditions. Future controlled trials are needed in this area. Keywords: veterans; mental health; mindfulness The veteran population is at risk for postdeploy- ment stress-related conditions and mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression. Chronic stress and poor coping can have deleterious effects on health outcomes in this population. Complementary alternative medicine interventions are widely requested by mental health consumers, including veterans and active duty personnel, to manage their stress and stress-related conditions (Williams, Gierisch, McDuffie, Strauss, & Nagi, 2011). The Veterans Health Administration has embarked on a journey to significantly enhance the veteran’s experi- ence by introducing new nonpharmacologic models Authors’ Note: This material is based on work supported by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, and Office of Research and Development. This material is the result of work supported with resources and the use of facilities at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center in Bronx, New York. The author gratefully acknowledges Duke Integrative Medicine for providing mindfulness training for professionals. Please address correspondence to Lisa Anne Kluepfel, James J. Peters VA Medical Center, 130 West Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY 10468, USA; e-mail: lisa.kluepfel@va.gov.