Peculiarities of psycho-emotional and neurovegetative state in Ukrainian women who have experienced war-related stress and ways of its non-medicinal correction.
Viktor S Matsyshyn, Kostiantyn O Apykhtin, Anatolii M Kravchenko, Nataliia M Ovodiuk, Illya A Chaikovsky
Wiadomosci lekarskie (Warsaw, Poland : 1960) 2025 DOI: 10.36740/WLek/207363 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort with intervention subgroups Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 72 |
| Population | Women exposed to war-related stress |
| Interventions | Cognitive behavioural therapy Transcendental Meditation |
| Topics | PTSD |
| Keywords | Autonomic dysfunction Women |
| Key findings | Both cognitive behavioural therapy and Transcendental Meditation improved psycho-emotional and autonomic outcomes in war-stressed women, with Transcendental Meditation showing greater effects on autonomic regulation and anxiety. |
Abstract
Aim: To investigate the peculiarities of psycho-emotional and neurovegetative disorders in women exposed to war-related stress and to assess the possibilities of their correction by cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and Transcendental Meditation (TM).
Materials and Methods: The study involved 72 women, 35 of whom had experienced high-intensity stress and 37 of whom were in the control group. The psychoemotional state was assessed by the DASS-21 test and a screening test for post-traumatic stress disorder. The neurovegetative state was assessed by mathematical analysis of heart rate variability (HRV). The main group was divided into subgroups that received correction using CBT or TM.
Results: In the main group exposed to the stressors of war, a higher level of anxiety, depression, PTSD score, and neurovegetative imbalance (decreased total adaptation reserve [SDNN], decreased parasympathetic regulation activity [RMSSD], increased vegetative balance index [LF/HF], indicating a shift towards sympathicotonia) was found. After the correction, both subgroups (CBT and TM) showed a decrease in anxiety, depression and stress. TM showed a more pronounced corrective effect on neurovegetative regulation and some indicators of psycho-emotional state (anxiety) compared to CBT.
Conclusions: A war significantly affects the psycho-emotional and neurovegetative state of women. Both of the applied non-medicated methods (CBT and TM) showed a significant corrective effect. The results of the study confirm the positive effects of TM and indicate the feasibility of its use for psychological support of persons exposed to the stress factors of war.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on PTSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy Using Low Doses in a Small Sample of Women with Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Women with chronic PTSD secondary to sexual assault | 2008 | Observational cohort | n = 6 |
| An Ambulatory Polysomnography Study of the Post-traumatic Nightmares of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Treatment-seeking veterans, current serving military members, and emergency service... | 2017 | Observational study using ambulatory polysomnography | n = 35 |
| Increased Mastery Elements Associated With Imagery Rehearsal Treatment for Nightmares in Sexual Assault Survivors With PTSD. Female sexual assault survivors with chronic nightmares | 2004 | Observational cohort | n = 44 |
| Posttraumatic stress symptoms following near-death experiences. Persons who report near-death experiences and those who came close to death without NDEs | 2001 | Observational study | |
| Impact of oral ketamine augmentation on hospital admissions in treatment-resistant depression and PTSD: a retrospective study. Outpatients with treatment-resistant depression and PTSD | 2018 | Retrospective review | n = 37 |