Emory is hosting a visit from the Dalai Lama this week
(see how they are getting ready) so I thought I would
say a few words about meditation and its uses for physical and mental health. A meta-analysis
(where data from all studies are put together) of mindfulness meditation1 found that
MBSR was a useful adjunctive intervention for patients with a broad range of chronic
disorders, including patients with cancer, chronic pain, fibromyalgia, and psoriasis.
Grossman P, Niemann L, Schmidt S, Walach H. Mindfulness-based stress reduction and
health benefits: A meta-analysis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 2004;57:35-43.
MBSR has been shown to be effective in reducing anxiety and panic in patients
diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder (maintained at
three-year follow-up) as well as anxiety in patients with heart disease.
MBSR has also been shown to be effective as an adjunctive intervention in reducing
psychological distress and depression, as well as health-related quality of life.
Reported favorable changes in distress (SCL-90-R) have been found to endure
at three-month follow-up, six-month follow-up, and four-year follow-up.
Miller J, Fletcher K, Kabat-Zinn J. Three-year follow-up and clinical implications
of a mindfulness-based stress reduction intervention in the treatment of anxiety
disorders. General Hospital Psychiatry. 1995;17:192-200.
Tacon AM, McComb K, Caldera Y, Randolph P. Mindfulness meditation, anxiety reduction,
and heart disease: a pilot study. Family & Community Health. 2003;26:25-33.
Finally our research program at Emory seems to be showing good results with
returning Iraq vets with early signs of PTSD.
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