A pilot study of meditation for mental health workers following Hurricane Katrina.
Lynn C Waelde, Madeline Uddo, Renee Marquett, Melanie Ropelato, Sharifa Freightman, Adit Pardo, Jacqueline Salazar
Journal of Traumatic Stress October 2008 DOI: 10.1002/jts.20365 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 20 |
| Population | African American and Caucasian mental health workers in New Orleans beginning 10 weeks after Hurricane Katrina |
| Duration | 4-hour workshop followed by an 8-week home study program |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | PTSD and anxiety symptoms decreased significantly over the 8-week meditation intervention, and these improvements were significantly correlated with the total number of minutes of daily meditation practice. Most participants reported good treatment adherence and improvements in well-being. The authors suggest meditation may be a feasible, acceptable, and effective postdisaster intervention. |
Abstract
This pilot study examined the effects of a manualized meditation intervention (called Inner Resources) for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety symptoms among 20 African American and Caucasian mental health workers in New Orleans beginning 10 weeks after Hurricane Katrina. They participated in a 4-hour workshop followed by an 8-week home study program. Complete follow-up data were available for 15 participants. Results of intention-to-treat analyses indicated that participants' PTSD and anxiety symptoms significantly decreased over the 8 weeks of the intervention; these improvements were significantly correlated with the total number of minutes of daily meditation practice. The majority of participants reported good treatment adherence and improvements in well-being. These findings suggest that meditation may be a feasible, acceptable, and effective postdisaster intervention.
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 7
- Mindfulness Meditation Improves Mental Health in Flood Survivors and Disaster Volunteers: A Randomized Wait-List Controlled Trial Mindfulness November 1, 2024
- A Pilot Study of a Meditation and Mindfulness Program with Detained Juveniles: An Adaptation of Inner Resources for Teens (IRT) Journal of Forensic Psychology Research and Practice 2020
- Randomized Controlled Trial of Inner Resources Meditation for Family Dementia Caregivers. Journal of Clinical Psychology December 2017
- Meditation programs for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder: Aggregate findings from a multi-site evaluation. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice and Policy May 1, 2016
- Trauma Therapists' Clinical Applications, Training, and Personal Practice of Mindfulness and Meditation. Mindfulness 2016
and 2 more in the library
Cites 4
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- The toronto mindfulness scale: Development and validation Journal of Clinical Psychology 2006
- Meditation with yoga, group therapy with hypnosis, and psychoeducation for long-term depressed mood: a randomized pilot trial. Journal of Clinical Psychology July 2008
- PTSD symptoms, substance use, and vipassana meditation among incarcerated individuals. Journal of Traumatic Stress June 1, 2007