The VetsBoats Program - Grounded in Research

The VetsBoats Program Works

The VA has studied sailing and it’s beneficial effects on veterans in treatment programs. Dr. William Marchand’s study on mindfulness-based therapeutic sailing (MBTS) was completed on 2021.

Dr. William Marchand’s research explores the potential of mindfulness-based therapeutic sailing as a complementary therapy for veterans with mental health conditions and substance use disorders. The study aims to assess whether combining mindfulness training with sailing can improve treatment engagement and outcomes among veterans. The underlying thesis is that such programs can leverage the enjoyable aspects of sailing to enhance mindfulness, psychological flexibility, and overall well-being.

VetsBoats uses the same metrics in our program as the study; the researchers employed the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES). This tool measures how much participants enjoy physical activities, which in this case was sailing. They also observed increased engagement in treatment sessions, which is crucial for improving outcomes.

While specific PTSD symptom scales were not used, researchers noted improvements in psychological flexibility and mindfulness among participants. Future studies are planned to explore these outcomes more rigorously, possibly incorporating diagnosis-specific scales like the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5).

Other findings:

• High Participation rate: There was a significant engagement with the program, as 96% of participants attended all sessions. This suggests that MBTS can effectively encourage treatment participation among veterans.

• Preliminary Correlation with Reduced Substance Use: The study found a correlation between MBTS participation and reduced need for substance use treatment services, though more research is needed to establish causality.

• Future Studies: Dr. Marchand plans to conduct more rigorous trials to further explore the benefits of MBTS, possibly adapting the model to other nature-based activities like hiking, given the accessibility challenges of sailing in some locations. Randomized controlled trials are envisioned to confirm the effectiveness of MBTS in a larger population.

VetsBoats is proud to be furthering the research h in this important area of veteran healthcare.