Loving-kindness meditation can reduce PTSD

A new study published in JAMA has found that loving-kindness meditation can reduce PTSD symptoms as well as group cognitive processing therapy.

The randomized clinical trial involved 184 veterans with PTSD who were assigned to group loving-kindness meditation or group cognitive processing therapy. The mean baseline Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-5) score was 35.5 and mean Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) depression score was

60.9. At six months after treatment, mean CAPS5 scores were 28.02 for cognitive processing therapy and 25.92 for loving-kindness meditation, and mean PROMIS depression scores were 61.22 for cognitive processing therapy and 58.88 for loving-kindness meditation.

“Group loving-kindness meditation resulted in reductions in PTSD symptoms that were not meaningfully worse than group CPT and higher attendance relative to CPT,” the study concluded.

“For both interventions, the magnitude of PTSD symptom reduction and rates of clinically meaningful improvement or loss of PTSD diagnostic status were similar to outcomes reported in prior studies of veterans with PTSD. Improvement over time in depressive symptoms was significantly greater for the loving-kindness meditation cohort relative to CPT, although few differences were detected in rates of clinically meaningful improvement. Further qualitative research would help to clarify the acceptability of loving-kindness meditation for PTSD. Overall, loving-kindness meditation shows promise as a treatment for PTSD, and the findings warrant replication.”