Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms
Rachel E. Goldsmith, James I. Gerhart, Samantha A. Chesney, John W Burns, Brighid Kleinman, Megan M. Hood
Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine October 1, 2014 DOI: 10.1177/2156587214533703 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 9 |
| Population | Adults who reported trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress or depression |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based stress reduction |
| Duration | 8 sessions over 8 weeks, with pretreatment, midtreatment, and posttreatment assessments |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Over 8 weeks of group mindfulness-based stress reduction, posttraumatic stress symptoms, depression, and shame-based trauma appraisals decreased, while acceptance of emotional experiences increased. Self-reported weekly mindfulness practice was related to greater increases in acceptance from pretreatment to posttreatment. The authors argue these results support mindfulness-based therapies for posttraumatic stress symptoms and highlight reducing shame and increasing acceptance as important elements of trauma recovery. |
Abstract
Mindfulness-based psychotherapies are associated with reductions in depression and anxiety. However, few studies address whether mindfulness-based approaches may benefit individuals with posttraumatic stress symptoms. The current pilot study explored whether group mindfulness-based stress reduction therapy reduced posttraumatic stress symptoms, depression, and negative trauma-related appraisals in 9 adult participants who reported trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress or depression. Participants completed 8 sessions of mindfulness-based stress reduction treatment, as well as pretreatment, midtreatment, and posttreatment assessments of psychological symptoms, acceptance of emotional experiences, and trauma appraisals. Posttraumatic stress symptoms, depression, and shame-based trauma appraisals were reduced over the 8-week period, whereas acceptance of emotional experiences increased. Participants’ self-reported amount of weekly mindfulness practice was related to increased acceptance of emotional experiences from pretreatment to posttreatment. Results support the utility of mindfulness-based therapies for posttraumatic stress symptoms and reinforce studies that highlight reducing shame and increasing acceptance as important elements of recovery from trauma.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 18
- Home practice in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: A systematic review and meta-analysis of participants' mindfulness practice and its association with outcomes Behaviour Research and Therapy May 10, 2017
- Mindfulness and Metta-based Trauma Therapy (MMTT): Initial Development and Proof-of-Concept of an Internet Resource Mindfulness April 8, 2015
- Effectiveness of Meditation Techniques in Treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) December 12, 2024
- Enhancing Traumatic Stress Recovery Through Nonattachment Principles: A Scoping Review Journal of Personalized Medicine December 9, 2025
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Psychological Trauma and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry July 30, 2025
and 13 more in the library
Cites 21
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica April 28, 2011
- What Do We Really Know About Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction? Psychosomatic Medicine 2002
- Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Intervention on Psychological Well-being and Quality of Life: Is Increased Mindfulness Indeed the Mechanism? Annals of Behavioral Medicine June 1, 2008
- Mindfulness meditation alleviates depressive symptoms in women with fibromyalgia: Results of a randomized clinical trial Arthritis Care & Research January 31, 2007
and 16 more in the library