skip to page content
Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now
U.S. flag
An official website of the United States government

Health Services Research & Development

Go to the ORD website
Go to the QUERI website

2009 HSR&D National Meeting Abstract


National Meeting 2009

3012 — Efficacy of a Spiritually-Based Mantram Intervention on Quality of Life in Veterans with Military-Related PTSD

Bormann JE (VA San Diego & SDSU), Thorp S (VA San Diego & UCSD), Wetherell JL (VA San Diego & UCSD), Golshan S (UCSD), Fellows I (UCSD), Lang A (VA San Diego & UCSD), Gershwin M (VA San Diego), Kelly A (VA San Diego & National University), Bone P (VA San Diego), Belding W (VA San Diego)

Objectives:
Despite evidence that spiritual well-being is associated with quality of life in patients with chronic illness, cancer, and HIV/AIDS, little attention has been given to spiritual interventions for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study tested the hypothesis that silently repeating a mantram—a sacred word or phrase—intermittently throughout the day could significantly reduce PTSD symptoms and improve quality of life and spiritual well-being.

Methods:
A randomized clinical trial was conducted to compare a 6-week (90-minutes/week) mantram intervention (n = 66) to a usual care delayed-treatment control group (n = 70). Health outcomes included Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), PTSD Checklist (PCL), SF-12 Health Survey, and the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy—Spiritual Well-Being scale (FACIT-SWB). T-tests were conducted to compare post-treatment minus pre-treatment change scores by group. Participants included 136 outpatient veterans with chronic PTSD (97% male, 59% Caucasian, 24% African American, 7% Hispanic, 10% other, and 53% married/cohabitating). They ranged in age from 25 to 83 (M = 57, SD = 9.26), averaged 14 years (SD = 2.1) of education, and experienced an average of 13 months (SD = 10.0) of combat.

Results:
There were significant reductions in PCL in the mantram group (M = -6.3, SD = 11.22) compared to controls (M = -2.6, SD = 7.16, p = .03). CAPS decreased with greater improvement in the mantram group (M = -17.9, SD = 21.55) than controls (M = -11.3, SD = 18.97, p = .07). PTSD diagnosis in the mantram group was reduced in 32% compared to 15% in the control group (?2 = 4.74, df = 1, p = .03). SF-12 mental health improved in the mantram group (M = 3.33, SD = 8.02) compared to controls (M = .07, SD = 8.55, p = .03). Spiritual well-being significantly increased in mantram group (M = 4.67, SD = 6.15) compared to a decrease in controls (M = -0.33, SD = 5.12, p < .001).

Implications:
Evidence suggests that a group mantram intervention may beneficially augment treatment for chronic PTSD symptoms in veterans. More research is needed to assess long-term effects and sustainability of practice.

Impacts:
Complementary practices that are evidenced-based may provide additional therapeutic options for managing military-related PTSD symptoms in veterans. Such practices have less “mental illness-related stigma,” and therefore, may be acceptable to a larger number veterans.


Questions about the HSR&D website? Email the Web Team

Any health information on this website is strictly for informational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any condition.