NCT00120627

Mantram Repetition to Manage PTSD in Veterans

Efficacy of Mantram Repetition on PTSD Symptoms in Veterans

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 146 (actual)
• Sponsor: US Department of Veterans Affairs · Federal
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

With ongoing war in Iraq, the incidence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in combat veterans is increasing. Creation, implementation, and testing of new and innovative interventions are needed to provide additional options for enhancing the mental health of those with PTSD. Surveys indicate that veterans are interested in complementary approaches to health care. The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy of the Mantram Repetition Program (MRP) delivered as a brief, 6-week, complementary and portable intervention. It includes frequent, silent repetitions of a mantram (mantra), a word or phrase with spiritual associations, to manage PTSD symptoms and improve quality of life military veterans with trauma.

Detailed description

The Mantram Repetition Program (MRP) is an innovative, portable meditation-based group intervention. In this study, the MRP was delivered in addition to usual care (defined as case management and medication) in a 6-week (90 minutes/week) group setting. The MRP was compared to usual care only. This 4-year study employed a mixed-methods, prospective, randomized controlled trial with qualitative phone interviews at 3 months post-intervention to explore ways that the intervention was used. Outpatient Veterans (N=146) with military-related PTSD were recruited from a single VA site and randomly assigned to the experimental arm (n=71) which consisted of usual care and the mantram program versus usual care only control group (n=76).

Conditions

• Stress Disorders, Post Traumatic

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Mantram Repetition Program (MRP) plus Usual Care	The MRP teaches 3 strategies to train attention and manage symptoms: Mantram Repetition, Slowing Down and One-Pointed Attention. A "mantram" is a self-selected, sacred word or phrase that is meaningful to the participant. Slowing down refers to setting priorities and doing things carefully so one is not rushed or does not make mistakes. One-pointed attention refers to concentrating on one thing at a time (similar to mindfulness). These three tools are presented to work together synergistically and cumulatively to interrupt negative thoughts and emotional states such as anger, rage, irritability and hyper-arousal. The unique focus on spiritual words is linked to what one might call inner spiritual resources. MRP was delivered in a 6-week (90 minutes/week) group setting.
OTHER	Usual care consisting of medication and case management	Usual care consisted of case management or meeting with Veterans at least once per month and monitoring medications, if prescribed.

Timeline

• Start date: 2005-11-01
• Primary completion: 2009-02-01
• Completion: 2010-09-01
• First posted: 2005-07-18
• Last updated: 2015-04-28
• Results posted: 2014-11-27

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States