Transcendental meditation 'can treat depression' (Excerpt)
"These results are encouraging and provide support for testing the efficacy of Transcendental Meditation ... in the treatment of clinical depression," said Hector Myers, the co-author of one of the studies and professor and director of Clinical Training in the Department of Psychology at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA).
Those with depression reported that their symptoms had nearly halved within three months of starting the treatment, and the effects were maintained across the rest of the year-long study.
Research studies on depression
Research published 2000 to present
Barnes VA, Rigg JL, Williams JJ. Clinical case series: treatment of PTSD with Transcendental Meditation in active duty military personnel. Military Medicine, 2013 178(7):e836-40. doi:10.7205/MILMED-D-12-00426.
Chhatre S, Metzger DS, Frank I, Boyer J, Thompson E, Nidich S, Montaner LJ, Jayadevappa R. Effects of behavioral stress reduction Transcendental Meditation intervention in persons with HIV. AIDS Care: Psychological and Socio-medical Aspects of AIDS/HIV, 2013, 25(10):1291-1297. doi.org/10.1080/09540121.2013.764396.
Elder C, Nidich S, Colbert R, Hagelin J, Grayshield L, Oviedo-Lim D, Nidich R, Rainforth M, Jones C, Gerace D. Reduced psychological distress in racial and ethnic minority students practicing the Transcendental Meditation Program. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 2011, 38(2):109-116.
Elder C, Nidich S, Moriarty F, Nidich R. Effect of Transcendental Meditation on employee stress, depression, and burnout: a randomized controlled study. The Permanente Journal, 2014, 18(1):19-23.
Hawkins MA. Effectiveness of the Transcendental Meditation program in criminal rehabilitation and substance abuse recovery: a review of the research. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 2003, 36(1-4):47-66.
Jayadevappa R, Johnson JC, Bloom BS, Nidich S, Desai S, Chhatre S, Razian D, Schneider RH. Effectiveness of Transcendental Meditation on functional capacity and quality of life of African Americans with congestive heart failure: a randomized control study. Ethnicity and Disease, 2007 17:72-77.
Nidich S, Nidich RJ, Salerno J, Hadfield B, Elder C. Stress reduction with the Transcendental Meditation program in caregivers: a pilot study. International Archives of Nursing and Health Care, 2015, 1(2): 011.
Nidich S, O’Connor T, Rutledge T, Duncan J, Compton B, Seng A, Nidich R. Reduced trauma symptoms and perceived stress in male prison inmates through the Transcendental Meditation Program: a randomized controlled trial. The Permanente Journal, 2016, 20(4):16-007. doi.org/10.7812/TPP/16-007.
Nidich S, Rainforth M, Haaga D, Hagelin J, Salerno J, Travis F, Tanner M, Gaylord-King C, Grosswald S, Schneider R. A randomized controlled trial on effects of the Transcendental Meditation program on blood pressure, psychological distress, and coping in young adults. American Journal of Hypertension, 2009 22(12):1326-1331.
Orme-Johnson DW. The use of meditation in corrections. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 2011, 55(4):662-664. doi:10.1177/0306624X10371803.
Walton KG, Levitsky DK. Effects of the Transcendental Meditation program on neuroendocrine abnormalities associated with aggression and crime. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 2003 36(1-4):67-88.
Research published before 2000
Berg WP, Mulder B. Psychological research on the effects of the Transcendental Meditation technique on a number of personality variables. Behaviour: Journal of Psychology, 1976 4:206-218.
Brooks JS, Scarano T. Transcendental Meditation in the treatment of post-Vietnam adjustment. Journal of Counseling and Development, 1985 64:212-215.
Candelent T, Candelent G. Teaching Transcendental Meditation in a psychiatric setting. Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 1975 26(3):156-159.
Ferguson PC, Gowan JC. Psychological findings on Transcendental Meditation. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 1976 16(3):51-60.
Fergusson LC, Bonshek AJ, Boudigues J-M. Personality and health characteristics of Cambodian undergraduates: a case study of student development. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 1995 22:308-319.
Jevning R, Pirkle H, Wilson AF. Behavioral alteration of plasma phenylalanine concentration. Physiology and Behavior, 1977 19(5):611-614.
Kniffki C. Transcendental Meditation and Autogenous Training—a Comparison. In series: Mind and Psyche. Munich: Kindler Verlag, 1979
Sheppard DH, Staggers F, John L. The effects of a stress management program in a high security government agency. Anxiety, Stress and Coping, 1997, 10(4):341-350.
Taub E, Steiner SS, Weingarten E, Walton KG. Effectiveness of broad spectrum approaches to relapse prevention in severe alcoholism: a long-term, randomised, controlled trial of Transcendental Meditation, EMG biofeedback and electronic neurotherapy. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 1994 11(1/2):187-220.