Panacea Index Logo

Command Palette

Search for a command to run...

Meditation for posttraumatic stress: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy
July 1, 2017
Lara Hilton et al. (8 authors)
Journal ArticleMeta-AnalysisReviewSystematic ReviewHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of meditation interventions, including mindfulness-based stress reduction, yoga, and mantram repetition, as adjunctive treatments for adults diagnosed with PTSD.

Results Summary

Meditation interventions improved PTSD and depression symptoms compared to control groups, though evidence quality was low to moderate. Effects on quality of life and anxiety were positive but not statistically significant, and no studies addressed functional status. No adverse events were reported, but only half of the studies assessed safety.

Population

Adults diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Effective Dosage

Not specified

Duration

Not specified

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (8)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
meditation interventions
decrease
PTSD symptoms
adults diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
-
improve
#1
meditation interventions
decrease
depression symptoms
adults diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
-
improve
#2
adjunctive meditation interventions of mindfulness-based stress reduction, yoga, and the mantram repetition program
decrease
PTSD symptoms
adults diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
-
improve
#3
adjunctive meditation interventions of mindfulness-based stress reduction, yoga, and the mantram repetition program
decrease
depression symptoms
adults diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
-
improve
#4
meditation interventions
increase
quality of life
adults diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
-
positive but not statistically significant
#5
meditation interventions
decrease
anxiety
adults diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
-
positive but not statistically significant
#6
meditation interventions
no change
functional status
adults diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
-
no studies addressed
#7
meditation interventions
no change
adverse events
adults diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
-
No adverse events were reported
#8
Abstract

OBJECTIVE: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis that synthesized evidence from randomized controlled trials of meditation interventions to provide estimates of their efficacy and safety in treating adults diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This review was based on an established protocol (PROSPERO: CRD42015025782) and is reported according to PRISMA guidelines. Outcomes of interest included PTSD symptoms, depression, anxiety, health-related quality of life, functional status, and adverse events. METHOD: Meta-analyses were conducted using the Hartung-Knapp-Sidik-Jonkman method for random-effects models. Quality of evidence was assessed using the Grade of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. RESULTS: In total, 10 trials on meditation interventions for PTSD with 643 participants met inclusion criteria. Across interventions, adjunctive meditation interventions of mindfulness-based stress reduction, yoga, and the mantram repetition program improve PTSD and depression symptoms compared with control groups, but the findings are based on low and moderate quality of evidence. Effects were positive but not statistically significant for quality of life and anxiety, and no studies addressed functional status. The variety of meditation intervention types, the short follow-up times, and the quality of studies limited analyses. No adverse events were reported in the included studies; only half of the studies reported on safety. CONCLUSIONS: Meditation appears to be effective for PTSD and depression symptoms, but in order to increase confidence in findings, more high-quality studies are needed on meditation as adjunctive treatment with PTSD-diagnosed participant samples large enough to detect statistical differences in outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
HumansMeditationStress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
Study Links
Quality Scores
Safety80
Efficacy70/10
Quality65/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations65
Citations/Year8.1
Relative Citation Ratio3.87
NIH Percentile89.6%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.95
Weight Score1.91
Normalized Score0.73
Related Supplements