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 Researchers randomly assigned 203 veterans with PTSD related to
active military service to receive 12 weekly sessions of treatments
based on meditation, or 12 weeks of sessions involving exposure to
trauma, or to a control group that received only mental health
education.
Researchers focused on what's known as transcendental meditation,
which involves closing the eyes and thinking of a mantra to help
conjure a state of restful alertness that can help people feel calm
and less stressed.
After the three months of treatment, 61 percent of the veterans in
the meditation group experienced a significant reduction in PTSD
symptoms, compared with 42 percent in the exposure therapy group and
32 percent in the health education group.
These results suggest that transcendental meditation should be among
the treatment options offered to veterans, particularly if they
don't want to relive traumatic experiences as part of therapy, said
lead study author Sanford Nidich of the Maharishi University of
Management Research Institute in Fairfield, Iowa.
"Those who are concerned with having to relive their trauma
experiences during therapy and as part of their "homework" may want
to consider other evidence-based options," Nidich said by email.
"Transcendental meditation may be a viable option for patients who
do not respond to exposure therapy or avoid trauma-focused treatment
altogether."
PTSD is a complex and difficult-to-treat disorder, affecting up to
one in five military veterans, researchers note in Lancet
Psychiatry. Previous research has raised the question of whether a
non-trauma-focused treatment can be as effective as trauma exposure
therapy in reducing PTSD symptoms.
Most of the veterans in the current study had very severe PTSD
symptoms, predominantly from combat-related trauma. Slightly more
than two-thirds of them continued to take medication for PTSD during
the study.
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Participants received group sessions for transcendental meditation
and health education and individual sessions for trauma exposure
therapy. Treatment also included daily exercises for veterans to do
at home.
Other trials have found stronger results for trauma exposure therapy
than participants experienced in the current study, the authors
note.
One limitation of the study is that researchers only followed
veterans for three months while they were in treatment, and it's
unclear whether results would be different with longer follow-up.
Even so, the results offer fresh evidence of the potential for
veterans with PTSD to experience symptom relief without going
through exposure therapy, said author of an accompanying editorial
Vernon Anthony Barnes of Augusta University in Georgia.
"Exposure therapy does not work well for everyone and many find it
difficult to purposely recall traumatic events, confront emotions,
and let go of fears triggered by painful memories," Barnes said by
email.
While retelling traumatic experiences to a therapist may be
stressful, it might help some veterans to develop coping skills that
serve them well over time, Barnes noted.
"Prolonged exposure therapy instills confidence and a sense of
mastery, and may improve aspects of daily functioning, increase the
ability to cope with courage when facing stress, and improve the
ability to discriminate safe and unsafe situations," Barnes said.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2TKS0Eh Lancet Psychiatry, online November 15,
2018.
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