Targeting hyperarousal: Mantram Repetition Program for PTSD in US veterans

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
• Clinical Psychology
• Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders

Background:

• Hyperarousal is a key symptom cluster in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), often resistant to standard treatments.
• The Mantram Repetition Program (MRP), a meditation-based intervention, shows potential for improving PTSD symptoms, particularly hyperarousal.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of the MRP in reducing hyperarousal and other PTSD symptom clusters.
• To investigate hyperarousal as a mediator of treatment response in Veterans with PTSD.

Main Methods:

• Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial involving 173 Veterans with PTSD.
• Participants were assigned to either the MRP or a non-specific psychotherapy control group.
• Assessments were conducted pre-treatment, post-treatment, and at an 8-week follow-up using time-lagged hierarchical linear modeling.

Main Results:

• Both treatments improved PTSD symptom clusters; however, MRP demonstrated significantly greater reductions in hyperarousal at post-treatment (Hedge's g = 0.57) and follow-up (Hedge's g = 0.52).
• MRP also showed greater reductions in numbing symptoms at post-treatment (Hedge's g = 0.47).
• Hyperarousal was identified as a mediator, explaining reductions in other PTSD symptom clusters following MRP treatment.

Conclusions:

• The Mantram Repetition Program is effective in reducing hyperarousal symptoms in Veterans with PTSD.
• Targeting hyperarousal through interventions like MRP may be a crucial pathway for facilitating overall recovery from PTSD.
• MRP's ability to reduce hyperarousal suggests its potential as a valuable clinical tool for treatment-resistant PTSD symptoms.