Veterans returning from military missions face an elevated risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although some treatments are effective, many veterans experience limited benefit. Interoceptive awareness may play a particularly important role in PTSD, yet there is little understanding of whether—and how—measurable increases in interoceptive awareness are reflected in veterans’ lived experiences.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of mind-body therapy on interoceptive awareness among veterans with PTSD using a mixed-methods approach.

We used a concurrent mixed-methods design. Quantitative data were collected as part of a randomized controlled trial at four time points (pre-intervention: baseline, midway: 3 months, post-intervention: 6 months, and follow-up: 12 months). The Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA) questionnaire, which assesses eight domains of interoceptive awareness, was applied. Forty-two participants were randomized to an intervention group receiving mind-body therapy alongside treatment-as-usual (TAU) or to a control group receiving TAU only. Changes over time were analyzed using linear mixed models. Qualitative data were gathered through 18 in-depth interviews with nine veterans over two years, focusing on their lived experiences with therapy and participant observations during four group-based veteran exchange meetings facilitated by therapists.

The mind-body therapeutic intervention involved 24 individual sessions over six months, where therapists used manual techniques on the veterans’ bodies to release muscle tensions and facilitate breathing while training their awareness of body signals and related emotions. Additionally, veterans practiced a home-based body scan meditation and were invited to participate in veteran group exchange meetings.

Quantitative findings showed statistically significant intervention effects on interoceptive awareness across all eight MAIA domains at post-intervention, with sustained effects on attention regulation, self-regulation, and trusting during the follow-up period. Qualitative findings showed that veterans’ experiences of interoceptive awareness were concentrated around three themes: sensing the body, allowing pain, and restoring agency. The qualitative accounts complemented the MAIA findings by illustrating how bodily awareness was experienced and used in everyday life.

The study indicates that the investigated mind-body therapy enhance self-reported interoceptive awareness in veterans with PTSD and provides insight into how such improvements are experienced by participants as supporting self-regulation and greater agency in everyday life, including the ability to recognize and adjust to changing levels of distress.