Journal of Traumatic Stress
July 25, 2013
David J. Kearney, Carol A. Malte, Carolyn Mcmanus et al.
232 citations
An open pilot trial of loving-kindness meditation for veterans with PTSD found that the practice was safe, acceptable, and associated with reduced symptoms. After a 12-week course, self-compassion increased with large effect sizes, and mindfulness increased with medium to large effect sizes. At 3-month follow-up, PTSD symptoms showed a large reduction (d = -0.89) and depression a medium reduction (d = -0.49). Enhanced self-compassion appeared to mediate these symptom reductions. Attendance was high, with 74% attending 9-12 classes. Further controlled study is needed to confirm whether the changes are due to the meditation itself rather than other influences.
Journal of Traumatic Stress
March 31, 2019
Ariel J. Lang, Anne L. Malaktaris, Pollyanna Casmar et al.
50 citations
A pilot randomized controlled trial compared compassion meditation (CM) to a relaxation-based program (Veteran.calm) for veterans with PTSD. Both interventions involved ten weekly 90-minute group sessions. Twenty-eight veterans who attended at least one session completed pre- and posttreatment measures. PTSD symptoms reduced more substantially in the CM group than in the comparison group, with a between-group effect size of -0.85. Credibility, attendance, and satisfaction were similar across conditions, demonstrating the feasibility of CM and the appropriateness of the comparison condition. These initial findings support further research on CM for veterans with PTSD.
Journal of Traumatic Stress
February 19, 2020
Ingmar Gorman, Alexander Belser, Lisa Jerome et al.
43 citations
MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) not only reduces symptoms but also promotes posttraumatic growth (PTG)—positive changes in self-perception, relationships, and life philosophy. Pooled data from three phase 2 clinical trials with 60 participants showed that those receiving active MDMA (75–125 mg) had significantly more PTG and larger reductions in PTSD symptom severity at the primary endpoint compared to the control group (0–40 mg MDMA). At 12-month follow-up, PTG remained higher, symptom severity lower, and two-thirds of participants no longer met PTSD criteria. These large-magnitude effects suggest PTG may be a new mechanism of action for this treatment.
Journal of Traumatic Stress
March 12, 2026
Leslie A. Morland, B O Rothbaum, Lauren M. Sippel et al.
2 citations
MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD shows promising results in recent randomized controlled trials, with high response and remission rates, but the FDA declined to approve it in August 2024 due to insufficient evidence. This review examines the current scientific literature on MDMA-AT, covering proposed mechanisms, methodological strengths and limitations, evidence gaps, and clinical, ethical, and regulatory issues. Key limitations include challenges with blinding, lack of active comparator conditions, no head-to-head comparisons of different therapy models, inadequate safety monitoring, and limited sample generalizability. Emerging research integrates MDMA with established trauma-focused therapies like prolonged exposure and cognitive processing therapy to leverage MDMA's effects on cognitive behavioral mechanisms.