Influence of adjuvant mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) on symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans – results from a randomized control study

Abstract

Even 30 or more years after the end of a war, veterans can suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In the present study, we explored the influence on symptoms of PTSD among Iranian veterans of the Iran-Iraq war of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) as add-on to a standard treatment with citalopram. Forty-eight male veterans with PTSD (mean age: 52.97 years) took part in this eight-week intervention study. Standard treatment for all patients consisted of citalopram (30-50 mg/day at therapeutic dosages). Patients were randomly assigned either to the treatment or to the control condition. Treatment involved MBCT delivered in group sessions once a week. Patients in the control condition met at the hospital with the same frequency and duration for socio-therapeutic events. At baseline and at study completion, patients completed questionnaires covering symptoms of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and stress. At study completion after eight weeks, scores for PTSD (re-experiencing events, avoidance, negative mood and cognition, hyperarousal), depression, anxiety, and stress were lower, but more so in the intervention than the control group. Data suggest that, as adjuvant to standard SSRI medication, MBCT is an effective intervention to significantly reduce symptoms of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and stress among veterans.

Long-Term Psychological Consequences of World War II Trauma Among Polish Survivors: A Mixed-Methods Study on the Role of Social Acknowledgment

“…It is well established that PTSD is associated with many psychiatric comorbidities, of which depression is the most prevalent (e.g., Kessler et al, 1995;Flory and Yehuda, 2015). PTSD-depression comorbidity is especially visible in combatrelated PTSD (Stander et al, 2014;Jasbi et al, 2018). Several explanations for this comorbidity are highlighted in the literature, including the fact that PTSD may be a causal risk factor for subsequent depressive disorders (e.g., Wright et al, 2011), the notion that PTSD and depression share similar risk vulnerabilities (e.g., O'Toole et al, 2009), or the hypothesis that the afore-mentioned comorbidity is a type of artifact due to symptoms overlapping in the diagnostic process (Biehn et al, 2013).…”

Effects of two types of exercise training on psychological well‐being, sleep, quality of life and physical fitness in patients with high‐grade glioma (WHO III and IV): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

“…Specifically, all participants did meet at the same time in the same area of the school campus, took shower at the same time and had identical breakfast at the same time; thus, the only difference between the jogging and the control group was the physical activity intervention per se. Likewise, to assess the influence of adjuvant mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) [55], participants of the control condition had the same frequency, duration, and intensity of social contacts with experts of the study center, as those participants undergoing the MBSR intervention. As mentioned, the active control intervention was not intended as being a ‘bona fide’ condition, which would have been intended to elicit dysfunctional cognitive-emotional processes.…”

A Mixed-Method Modified Delphi Study toward Identifying Key Elements of Psychotherapy in Iran

“…In contrast, claims of psychotherapeutic schools that "one size fits all" do not match evidence-based and scientific research on psychotherapy anymore. Such a differentiated and client-oriented approach further takes into consideration the multifaceted variety of the Iranian population, ranging from adolescents and young adults with sleep and substance use disorders [45,46], to refugees from Afghanistan, to veterans with post-traumatic stress disorders [47], to name a few. Fourth, as mentioned, we did not perform the third round of the Delphi procedure.…”