REDUCTION IN SYMPTOMS OF POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER AND DEPRESSION IN UKRAINIAN REFUGEES PRACTICING TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION
Clinical and Preventive Medicine April 20, 2026 Mykola Didukh, K. Freytag, Vitalii Lunov et al.
A 60-day Transcendental Meditation program rapidly reduced symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression in Ukrainian refugees in Germany. In the intervention group of 40 participants, the proportion with probable PTSD dropped from 60.0% to 2.5% after 30 days, and to 0% after 60 days. Depressive symptoms also significantly improved compared to a non-practicing control group, whose PTSD symptoms did not change and whose depressive symptoms worsened. The program may serve as a promising non-pharmacological support, but larger studies are needed.