Mind-body skills groups for treatment of war-traumatized veterans: A randomized controlled study.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the effects of a mind-body skills group (MBSG) intervention on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. METHOD: Veterans (n = 108; mean age = 55.97 [SD = 11.72]; 96% male) at a PTSD specialty clinic in the Veterans Affairs Health Care System were randomized to a 10-week MBSG program or standard treatment. PTSD was the primary outcome measure. Secondary outcomes included anger, sleep, depression, anxiety, posttraumatic growth, and health-related quality of life. RESULTS: MBSG participants had significantly greater improvement in the total PTSD score after 10 weeks compared to the standard treatment group. Hyperarousal and avoidance scores significantly improved at 10 weeks and improvements in the hyperarousal symptoms were maintained at 2-month follow-up. MBSG participants also had significant decreases in anger and sleep disturbance. There were no significant differences in the other secondary outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: This MBSG intervention offers promise in helping Veterans with PTSD and its related symptoms. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Do adolescents consider mind-body skills groups an acceptable treatment for depression: results from a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Mind-Body Skills Groups (MBSGs) have shown promise in reducing adolescent depression symptoms; however, little is known about adolescents' perspectives on this treatment. The objective of this study was to understand the acceptability of a new treatment for depressed adolescents in primary care settings. METHODS: Adolescents participating in a 10-week MBSG treatment were interviewed to understand their perspectives on the acceptability and effectiveness of the treatment. Interviews were collected at post-intervention and at a 3-month follow-up visit. RESULTS: A total of 39 adolescents completed both the post-intervention and 3-month follow-up interview. At post-intervention and follow-up, 84% of adolescents stated the MBSGs helped them. When asked how the MBSGs helped them, 3 areas were identified: learning new MBSG activities and skills, social connection with others within the group, and outcomes related to the group. Many adolescents reported no concerns with the MBSGs (49% at post- intervention; 62% at follow-up). Those with concerns identified certain activities as not being useful, wanting the group to be longer, and the time of group (after school) being inconvenient. Most adolescents reported that their life had changed because of the group (72% at post-intervention; 61% at follow-up), and when asked how, common responses included feeling less isolated and more hopeful. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents found the MBSGs to be helpful and acceptable as a treatment option for depression in primary care. Given the strong emphasis on treatment preference autonomy and the social activities within the group, MBSGs appear well-suited for this age group. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03363750 ; December 6th, 2017.

Transforming Trauma With Lifestyle Medicine.

A common misconception is that trauma-"injury" to the mind, body, and spirit-comes only to those individuals who have experienced threats of death, sexual violence, or serious injury. The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) and the widespread disruption, anxiety, and stress it has left in its wake have shown us that this is not the case; trauma is universal. Left unaddressed, trauma can have long-term physical and psychological consequences. It appears that the consequences of trauma can also be transmitted from generation to generation through modifications in the DNA of the exposed individual that alter the function of one or more genes. Meditation and other practical, evidence-based mind-body skills can reverse what has been damaged by traumatic events and long-term stress. The Center for Mind-Body Medicine (CMBM), established in 1991, has developed a comprehensive, innovative, and evidence-based model that has been used by diverse populations to heal psychological trauma and promote resilience. Comprehensive, easily available programs of self-care and group support, such as The CMBM's Mind-Body Skills Group Model, can ensure that children and adults everywhere have the psychological skills they need to address the trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mind-Body Skills Groups for Adolescents With Depression in Primary Care: A Pilot Study.

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this study was to determine the acceptability and preliminary effectiveness of Mind-Body Skills Groups (MBSGs) as a treatment for depressed adolescents in primary care. METHOD: A single-arm clinical trial was conducted. A 10-week MBSG program was implemented in primary care. Participants completed self-report measures at baseline, postintervention, and 3 months following the MBSGs. Measures included the Children's Depression Inventory-2, Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, Self-Efficacy for Depressed Adolescents, rumination subscale of the Children's Response Style Questionnaire, and a short acceptability questionnaire. RESULTS: Participants included 43 adolescents. The total depression scores significantly improved following the MBSG intervention and continued to improve significantly from posttreatment to follow-up. Mindfulness, self-efficacy, rumination, and suicidal ideation all had significant improvement following the intervention. Acceptability of the program was strong, and attendance was excellent. DISCUSSION: Preliminary evidence suggests that MBSGs are an acceptable treatment for primary care settings and lead to improved depression symptoms in adolescents.

James S. Gordon, MD: A Transformative Approach to Depression.

No Abstract Available.

Mind-body skills groups for medical students: reducing stress, enhancing commitment, and promoting patient-centered care.

BACKGROUND: For several decades, psychological stress has been observed to be a significant challenge for medical students. The techniques and approach of mind-body medicine and group support have repeatedly demonstrated their effectiveness at reducing stress and improving the quality of the education experience. DISCUSSION: Mind-Body Skills Groups provide medical students with practical instruction in and scientific evidence for a variety of techniques that reduce stress, promote self-awareness and self-expression, facilitate imaginative solutions to personal and professional problems, foster mutual understanding among students, and enhance confidence in and optimism about future medical practice. The Center for Mind-Body Medicine, which developed this model 20 years ago, has trained medical school faculty who offer these supportive small groups to students at more than 15 US medical schools. This paper describes the model, surveys its use in medical schools, summarizes published research on it, and discusses obstacles to successful implementation as well as its benefits. SUMMARY: Mind-Body Skills groups have demonstrated their effectiveness on reducing stress in medical students; in enhancing the students' experience of medical education; and in helping them look forward more confidently and hopefully to becoming physicians. The experience of these 15 institutions may encourage other medical schools to include mind-body skills groups in their curricula.

Treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder in postwar Kosovar adolescents using mind-body skills groups: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether participation in a mind-body skills group program based on psychological self-care, mind-body techniques, and self-expression decreases symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). METHOD: Eighty-two adolescents meeting criteria for PTSD according to the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (which corresponds with 16 of the 17 diagnostic criteria for PTSD in DSM-IV) were randomly assigned to a 12-session mind-body group program or a wait-list control group. The program was conducted by high school teachers in consultation with psychiatrists and psychologists and included meditation, guided imagery, and breathing techniques; self-expression through words, drawings, and movement; autogenic training and biofeedback; and genograms. Changes in PTSD symptoms were measured using the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire. The study was conducted from September 2004 to May 2005 by The Center for Mind-Body Medicine at a high school in the Suhareka region of Kosovo. RESULTS: Students in the immediate intervention group had significantly lower PTSD symptom scores following the intervention than those in the wait-list control group (F = 29.8, df = 1,76; p < .001). Preintervention and postintervention scores (mean [SD]) for the intervention group were 2.5 (0.3) and 2.0 (0.3), respectively, and for the control group, 2.5 (0.3) and 2.4 (0.4), respectively. The decreased PTSD symptom scores were maintained in the initial intervention group at 3-month follow-up. After the wait-list control group received the intervention, there was a significant decrease (p < .001) in PTSD symptom scores compared to the preintervention scores. CONCLUSIONS: Mind-body skills groups can reduce PTSD symptoms in war-traumatized high school students and can be effectively led by trained and supervised schoolteachers.

Mind-body medicine and cancer.

Mind-body medicine, grounded in a respectful, therapeutic partnership, should be a central element in the care of every person diagnosed with cancer. This article reviews some of the physiologic foundations of mind-body medicine, the introduction of mind-body approaches to cancer care in the 1970s, the specific mind-body approaches that have been used, and the evidence that supports their use. The importance of group support for enhancing the effectiveness of these approaches is discussed. Guidelines are offered for integrating mind-body approaches and perspectives in the care of people who have cancer.