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ABSTRACT: This pilot study examined the effects of a manualized meditation intervention (called Inner Resources) for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety symptoms among 20 African American and Caucasian mental health workers in New Orleans beginning 10 weeks after Hurricane Katrina. They participated in a 4-hour workshop followed by an 8-week home study program. Complete follow-up data were available for 15 participants. Results of intention-to-treat analyses indicated that participants' PTSD and anxiety symptoms significantly decreased over the 8 weeks of the intervention; these improvements were significantly correlated with the total number of minutes of daily meditation practice. The majority of participants reported good treatment adherence and improvements in well-being. These findings suggest that meditation may be a feasible, acceptable, and effective postdisaster intervention.
Journal of Traumatic Stress 11/2008; 21(5):497-500. · 2.72 Impact Factor
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Lisa D Butler, Lynn C Waelde,
T Andrew Hastings,
Xin-Hua Chen,
Barbara Symons,
Jonathan Marshall,
Adam Kaufman,
Thomas F Nagy,
Christine M Blasey,
Elizabeth O Seibert,
David Spiegel
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ABSTRACT: This randomized pilot study investigated the effects of meditation with yoga (and psychoeducation) versus group therapy with hypnosis (and psychoeducation) versus psychoeducation alone on diagnostic status and symptom levels among 46 individuals with long-term depressive disorders. Results indicate that significantly more meditation group participants experienced a remission than did controls at 9-month follow-up. Eight hypnosis group participants also experienced a remission, but the difference from controls was not statistically significant. Three control participants, but no meditation or hypnosis participants, developed a new depressive episode during the study, though this difference did not reach statistical significance in any case. Although all groups reported some reduction in symptom levels, they did not differ significantly in that outcome. Overall, these results suggest that these two interventions show promise for treating low- to moderate-level depression.
Journal of Clinical Psychology 08/2008; 64(7):806-20. · 2.12 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Although many studies have shown that stronger ethnic identity is associated with better adjustment, the role of ethnic identity in the context of race-related threat is unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of ethnic identity on the severity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in the context of race-related stress, particularly to examine whether ethnic identity moderates the effect of racism on consequent PTSD symptoms. Subjects were 91 undergraduate students (11% Caucasian, 6.6% African American, 18.7% Hispanic, 47.3% Asian, 5.5% Middle Eastern, and 8.8% Other) who reported experiences of race-related stress. Race-related stress, ethnic identity, and PTSD symptoms were assessed through self-report measures. Results of a simultaneous multiple regression indicated that ethnic identity moderated PTSD symptoms in response to perceived racism, such that stronger ethnic identity was associated with more PTSD symptoms in the face of increasing levels of race-related stress. Additionally, race-related stress independently predicted PTSD symptoms. These results are consistent with previous findings that ethnic identity increases the experience of distress in the context of self-relevant threat.
Journal of Trauma & Dissociation 02/2007; 8(4):91-105. · 1.23 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: There is long-standing debate about whether elevated dissociative symptoms are common in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or whether there is a distinct subtype of cases with elevated dissociation. The current investigation examined the latent structure of dissociative symptoms in a sample of 316 male, trauma-exposed Vietnam veterans, 76 of whom were diagnosed with current PTSD. Three taxometric procedures (MAMBAC, MAXEIG, and MAXCOV) were performed on three indicator sets drawn from the Dissociative Experiences Scale. Taxometric analyses consistently revealed a taxon (subtype) of highly dissociative individuals. The taxon members had significantly more severe posttraumatic symptoms and were more often diagnosed with current PTSD than were non-taxon members. Among participants with a current PTSD diagnoses, only 32% belonged to the dissociative taxon, suggesting that there is a subtype of severe PTSD with elevated dissociation.
Journal of Traumatic Stress 09/2005; 18(4):359-69. · 2.72 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Twelve older female dementia patient family caregivers (eight Latinas and four Caucasians) participated in a six-session manualized yoga-meditation program (called Inner Resources) designed to help caregivers cope with stress. Pre/post comparisons revealed statistically significant reductions in depression and anxiety and improvements in perceived self-efficacy. Average minutes of weekly yoga-meditation practice were significantly associated with improvements in depression. The majority of caregivers found the intervention useful and reported subjective improvements in physical and emotional functioning. These findings suggest that Inner Resources may be a feasible and effective intervention for family caregivers and may improve affect, coping, physical well-being, and stress management.
Journal of Clinical Psychology 07/2004; 60(6):677-87. · 2.12 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: This study examined the chronicity of PTSD in 530 male and female Vietnam veterans who were drawn from 2 large, ethnically diverse samples. Delayed onset was common, as was a failure to fully remit: 78% of the 239 veterans with full or partial lifetime PTSD were symptomatic in the 3 months prior to assessment. Cluster analysis identified 4 subtypes of posttraumatic response, with women most likely to be in a delayed onset cluster, and minority men most likely to be in a severe chronic cluster. The extent of chronicity observed in this sample underscores the need for treatments that address the persistence of posttraumatic symptoms.
Journal of Traumatic Stress 01/2004; 16(6):545-53. · 2.72 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The present study examined whether relationships of self-reported depression and suicidality to gender roles or gender are moderated by the type of stressful life events that individuals experience. The focus was on events in stereotypic male (achievement) versus female (interpersonal) domains. This study of 290 women and 247 men undergraduates employed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Personal Attributes Questionnaire and a measure of recent negative life events. In the presence of high achievement stress, high masculinity was related to low suicidality for men. In the presence of high interpersonal stress, high femininity was related to low self-reported depression for women. These findings were interpreted as consistent with the androgyny model of adjustment. However, independent of gender roles, high interpersonal stress was related to high self-reported depression more strongly among women than among men. Suicidality was related to interpersonal events for women and achievement events for men. These findings were interpreted as consistent with the self-schema model of depression.
Sex Roles 12/1993; 30(1):1-22. · 1.47 Impact Factor
