Mindfulness-Based Intervention to Lower Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Survivors of Domestic Violence
Vincent Eddy Kuncoro Hartono, Nida Ul Hasanat
Gadjah Mada Journal of Professional Psychology March 30, 2026 DOI: 10.22146/gamajpp.92991 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental one-group pre-test post-test design Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 7 |
| Population | Female domestic violence survivors |
| Duration | Six meetings over three weeks |
| Topics | Anxiety PTSD Meditation |
| Keywords | Intervention counseling Domestic violence Distress Hypervigilance Poison control Injury prevention Suicide prevention Wilcoxon signed-rank test Clinical psychology Intrusion Stressor Fight-or-flight response |
| Key findings | The mindfulness-based intervention significantly lowered PTSD levels in domestic violence survivors, as indicated by a significant reduction in intrusion, avoidance, and hypervigilance scores. |
Abstract
This study aimed to reduce post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) levels in survivors of domestic violence (DV) through a mindfulness-based intervention program modified from Brief Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (BMBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Distress Management Training. Seven female DV survivors were involved in the program, which consisted of six meetings over three weeks. The participants practiced breathing meditation, body-scan meditation, loving-kindness meditation, and sitting meditation. They also performed walking meditation, eating meditation, and mindful yoga. The study used a quasi-experimental one-group pre-test post-test design, and the author measured the participants' PTSD using the Impact of Event Scale - Revised (IES-R). The results of analysis using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test showed a significant difference in PTSD scores, with a Z value of -2.366 (p< .05), which indicates that the mindfulness-based intervention used in this study can significantly lower PTSD in domestic violence survivors. Participants experienced a reduction in intrusion (recurrence of traumatic events), avoidance (avoidance of stimuli), and hypervigilance (excessive response to stimuli).
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on PTSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A PILOT STUDY OF GROUP MINDFULNESS-BASED COGNITIVE THERAPY (MBCT) FOR COMBAT VETERANS WITH POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) Veterans with chronic combat posttraumatic stress disorder seeking treatment at a VA... | 2013 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual comparison group | n = 37 |
| Resting‐state functional connectivity of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in post‐traumatic stress disorder and its dissociative subtype Adults with PTSD (n = 70), its dissociative subtype (n = 41), and healthy controls (n =... | 2017 | Cross-sectional resting-state fMRI study | n = 161 |
| Sensory overload and imbalance: Resting-state vestibular connectivity in PTSD and its dissociative subtype. Adults with PTSD, PTSD dissociative subtype, and healthy controls | 2017 | Cross-sectional, seed-based resting-state fMRI study | n = 141 |
| Altered Sense of Body Ownership and Agency in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Its Dissociative Subtype: A Rubber Hand Illusion Study Adults with PTSD (n=4), PTSD with dissociative subtype (n=6), and healthy controls (n=7) | 2018 | Case-control experimental study | n = 17 |
| Superior colliculus resting state networks in post‐traumatic stress disorder and its dissociative subtype Adults with PTSD (n = 67), its dissociative subtype (n = 41), and healthy controls (n =... | 2017 | Observational cross-sectional resting-state fMRI study | n = 158 |