C-METTA reduces PTSD-related guilt and shame following interpersonal violence.
European journal of psychotraumatology December 1, 2025 Corinna Schreiber, Stella Kümmerle, Meike Müller-Engelmann
A combination of cognitive techniques and loving-kindness meditation (C-METTA) significantly reduced PTSD symptoms, trauma-related guilt, and trauma-related shame in 25 survivors of interpersonal violence, 96% of whom were women aged 19–61. Effect sizes were large, ranging from d = 1.12 to d = 1.67 for PTSD symptoms, d = 1.54 for guilt, and d = 1.26 for shame. Childhood trauma, cumulative trauma, and chronic PTSD did not influence treatment effectiveness. The authors suggest C-METTA may expand treatment options for PTSD following interpersonal violence, though regression to the mean should be considered as a confounding factor.