title: Meditation for posttraumatic stress: Systematic review and meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis that synthesized evidence from randomized controlled trials of meditation interventions to provide estimates of their efficacy and safety in treating adults diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This review was based on an established protocol (PROSPERO: CRD42015025782) and is reported according to PRISMA guidelines. Outcomes of interest included PTSD symptoms, depression, anxiety, health-related quality of life, functional status, and adverse events.
  
  
  METHODS
  Meta-analyses were conducted using the Hartung-Knapp-Sidik-Jonkman method for random-effects models. Quality of evidence was assessed using the Grade of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 10 trials on meditation interventions for PTSD with 643 participants met inclusion criteria. Across interventions, adjunctive meditation interventions of mindfulness-based stress reduction, yoga, and the mantram repetition program improve PTSD and depression symptoms compared with control groups, but the findings are based on low and moderate quality of evidence. Effects were positive but not statistically significant for quality of life and anxiety, and no studies addressed functional status. The variety of meditation intervention types, the short follow-up times, and the quality of studies limited analyses. No adverse events were reported in the included studies; only half of the studies reported on safety.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Meditation appears to be effective for PTSD and depression symptoms, but in order to increase confidence in findings, more high-quality studies are needed on meditation as adjunctive treatment with PTSD-diagnosed participant samples large enough to detect statistical differences in outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record
authors.affiliation: RAND Corporation.
authors.forename: Lara
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-2375-8810
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hilton
authors.affiliation: RAND Corporation.
authors.forename: Alicia Ruelaz
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Maher
authors.affiliation: RAND Corporation.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Colaiaco
authors.affiliation: RAND Corporation.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Apaydin
authors.affiliation: RAND Corporation.
authors.forename: Melony E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Sorbero
authors.affiliation: RAND Corporation.
authors.forename: Marika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Booth
authors.affiliation: RAND Corporation.
authors.forename: Roberta M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Shanman
authors.affiliation: RAND Corporation.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hempel
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D019122:Meditation; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000628:therapy*