Meditation and yoga for posttraumatic stress disorder: A meta-analytic review of randomized controlled trials.
Autumn M Gallegos, Hugh F Crean, Wilfred R Pigeon, Kathi L Heffner
Clinical Psychology Review December 1, 2017 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2017.10.004 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Meta-analysis Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,173 |
| Population | Adults with posttraumatic stress disorder |
| Interventions | Meditation Yoga |
| Topics | Meditation PTSD |
| Keywords | Humans Yoga Stress disorders, post-traumatic Complementary health |
| Key findings | Meditation and yoga were associated with a small-to-medium reduction in PTSD symptoms across 19 randomized controlled trials (effect size -0.39). Effects were similar across intervention types, outcome measures, populations, and control conditions, though a marginally larger effect appeared in studies with 30 or fewer participants (effect size -0.78). The authors conclude these complementary approaches are promising and warrant further study. |
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a chronic and debilitating disorder that affects the lives of 7-8% of adults in the U.S. Although several interventions demonstrate clinical effectiveness for treating PTSD, many patients continue to have residual symptoms and ask for a variety of treatment options. Complementary health approaches, such as meditation and yoga, hold promise for treating symptoms of PTSD. This meta-analysis evaluates the effect size (ES) of yoga and meditation on PTSD outcomes in adult patients. We also examined whether the intervention type, PTSD outcome measure, study population, sample size, or control condition moderated the effects of complementary approaches on PTSD outcomes. The studies included were 19 randomized control trials with data on 1173 participants. A random effects model yielded a statistically significant ES in the small to medium range (ES=-0.39, p<0.001, 95% CI [-0.57, -0.22]). There were no appreciable differences between intervention types, study population, outcome measures, or control condition. There was, however, a marginally significant higher ES for sample size≤30 (ES=-0.78, k=5). These findings suggest that meditation and yoga are promising complementary approaches in the treatment of PTSD among adults and warrant further study.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on PTSD, most cited first.
Citations in the library
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- Susceptibility of Women to Cardiovascular Disease and the Prevention Potential of Mind–Body Intervention by Changes in Neural Circuits and Cardiovascular Physiology Biomolecules May 10, 2021
- The influence of hatha yoga on stress, anxiety, and suppression: A randomized controlled trial. Acta Psychologica November 1, 2023
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Cites 8
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