John M. Talmadge, M.D.

A Blog Covering Many Topics

Mindfulness and PTSD

Among veterans with PTSD, mindfulness-based stress reduction therapy, compared with present-centered group therapy, resulted in a greater decrease in PTSD symptom severity. The results of the study were modest, but those of us familiar with mindfulness practice are encouraged that we are on the right track. The August 4, 2015 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association includes an article describing the research. A summary of the article is available here. I discovered the article through a link through Dr. Ian Ellis-Jones and his excellent website devoted to mindfulness practice.

Mindfulness is the intentional, accepting and non-judgemental focus of one's attention on the emotions, thoughts and sensations occurring in the present moment, which can be trained by meditational practices. Although linked to Buddhism and eastern philosophies, many Christians practice mindfulness. It is not a religious practice, nor is it tied to a specific set of religious beliefs. An excellent article on Christianity and mindfulness by Dr. Scott Symington can be found in the Journal of Psychology and Christianity if you click here.

Many psychiatrists and psychologists have moved away from the labels of psychiatry—bearing in mind that diagnosis and traditional treatment are often very helpful—to incorporate mindfulness based practices in our work. Dr. Melissa Polusny from the Minneapolis VA Health Care System, and colleagues randomly assigned 116 veterans with PTSD to nine sessions of either mindfulness-based stress-reduction (MBSR) therapy or present-centered group therapy, which focused on current life problems.

Dr. Ellis-Jones comments on his blog: "The researchers found that during treatment and in the two months following, MBSR therapy improved PTSD symptoms more than did present-centered group therapy. In fact, those who had MBSR experienced a 49 per cent reduction in PTSD symptoms, compared with a 28 per cent reduction in symptoms among those who had present-centered group therapy."