Study: Loving-kindness meditation for post-traumatic stress
David J Kearney et al.
April 2021
Burn-out prevention / prophylaxis
Meditation, Pranayama, and more
Mental health
The University of Washington School of Medicine conducted a study to test the effects of loving-kindness meditation, also known as metta bhavana, on veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
To do this, 42 veterans with PTSD underwent 12 weeks of loving-kindness meditation therapy and were assessed at baseline, post-treatment and three months after study completion using the broaden-and-build theory.
The results showed that unpleasant emotions decreased over time and pleasant emotions increased to some extent. Three months after completing the treatment, the subjects showed improvements in dealing with their environment, personal growth, life goals, self-acceptance and decentering.
The open pilot study shows that positive feelings increased and the personal resources of the veterans improved as a result of loving-kindness meditation.
Further research on loving-kindness meditation as a treatment for PTSD is needed.
The most important information on the study at a glance
- Indications
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Institution
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Title
- Study: Loving-kindness meditation for post-traumatic stress
- Brief description
- A study of 42 PTSD veterans showed that loving-kindness meditation reduced negative emotions and promoted personal growth.
- Original title
- Loving-Kindness Meditation vs Cognitive Processing Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Veterans: A Randomized Clinical Trial
- Link to the study
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33861329/
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