Transcendental Meditation for PTSD in Veterans
Director of Research at WRIISC and Clinical Associate Professor at Stanford University, Dr. Peter Bayley and his team are exploring Transcendental Meditation (TM) as a promising new treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans.
According to the National Center for PTSD, PTSD affects a range of 11% to 20% of veterans returning from wars in Vietnam, Korea, Iraq, and Afghanistan. In addition to combat trauma, veterans experience high rates of traumatic events during or after their active-duty careers, such as military sexual trauma, accidents, and injuries. TM is among the most promising non-exposure-based treatment for PTSD that is effective and amenable to the unique circumstances of veterans. This treatment guides the active thinking mind to decompress and settle into a state of peaceful awareness, allowing the brain to function with better coherence and the body to rest, through the use of a mantra. The practice has been shown to significantly reduce PTSD symptom severity and depression in a veteran population.
The current study is part of a clinical multi-site trial that is recruiting veterans diagnosed with PTSD. Participants will be randomized to receive either TM or Present Centered Therapy (PCT). Dr. Bayley and his team look forward to identifying additional non-exposure-based treatments for PTSD and exploring the effectiveness of TM in reducing PTS symptoms and depression.
This work is funded by the David Lynch Foundation. Please click here to see more information on this study and check the eligibility criteria to participate.
