Effects of hands‐on mind‐body therapy on posttraumatic stress disorder among Danish military veterans: A randomized clinical trial

Abstract

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects many military veterans. Given limited success of and barriers to conventional treatments, increasing interest is being paid to mind‐body therapy approaches. However, little evidence exists on whether these have the potential to treat traumatic stress. The aim of this study was to compare 6 months of hands‐on mind‐body therapy as an add‐on to treatment as usual (TAU) with TAU alone. Participants with PTSD resulting from active military service were randomly assigned to the intervention group or treatment‐as‐usual (TAU) group. The intervention group received 24 hands‐on manipulative mind‐body therapy sessions during 6 months as add‐on to TAU. The primary outcome was the PTSD Checklist‐Military version (PCL‐M) at 6 months (postintervention). Outcome measurements were obtained at four time points; baseline, 3 months (midway), 6 months (postintervention), and 12 months (follow‐up). Intention‐to‐treat analysis was done masked to allocation. A total of 42 participants were randomized (22 control, 20 intervention). In the intervention group, two discontinued the mind‐body therapy. At postintervention, participants who had received mind‐body treatment demonstrated greater reduction in PTSD severity (PCL‐M scores between‐group mean difference: −11.1, 95% CI −17.9 to −4.2, p = 0.002, effect size d = 1.06). At follow‐up, PCL‐M scores were not statistically significant between groups (between‐group difference: −4.65, 95% CI −11.8 to 1.50). Post hoc analysis showed that number of participants remitting from PTSD from baseline to follow‐up was 25% in the intervention group and 0% in the control group. Our study showed that hands‐on mind‐body therapy over 6 months produced clinically significant decrease in PTSD symptoms. The large reduction in symptoms was not maintained 6 months after the intervention period. Further research on mind‐body therapy as adjunctive PTSD treatment is warranted.