REDUCTION IN SYMPTOMS OF POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER AND DEPRESSION IN UKRAINIAN REFUGEES PRACTICING TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION

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.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Introduction. Following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, there has been a substantial increase in the need for accessible, rapid-acting, and non-pharmacological approaches to alleviate symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression among Ukrainian refugees. One potentially useful intervention is the Transcendental Meditation program. Aim. To assess the effectiveness of the Transcendental Meditation program in reducing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression in Ukrainian refugees residing in Germany. Materials and methods. The study included 80 Ukrainian refugees: 40 participants in the intervention group who practiced Transcendental Meditation for 60 days and 40 participants in the the non-practicing control group. Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder were assessed using the PCL-5 and IES-R scales, while depressive symptoms were measured using the BDI-II at baseline and after 30 and 60 days. Parametric and non-parametric statistical methods were applied for data analysis. Results. As early as 30 days after the start of the intervention, the meditation group demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression compared with baseline values. The proportion of participants with probable post-traumatic stress disorder decreased from 60.0% to 2.5%, and after 60 days no participant in this group remained above the diagnostic cutoff. At both 30 and 60 days, the intervention group showed statistically significantly better PCL-5, IES-R, and BDI-II scores than the control group. In the control group, no significant reduction in post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms was observed, whereas depressive symptoms tended to worsen by the end of follow-up. Conclusions. Regular practice of the Transcendental Meditation program is associated with a rapid and statistically significant reduction in symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression among Ukrainian refugees. The program may be considered a promising adjunctive or alternative non-pharmacological approach within psychosocial support systems; however, further research in larger samples is required.