Treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder in postwar Kosovo high school students using mind-body skills groups: a pilot study


Author: Gordon JS//Staples JK//Blyta A//Bytyqi M

Affiliation: Center for Mind-Body Medicine, Washington, District of Columbia 20015, USA. jgordon@cmbm.org
Conference/Journal: J Trauma Stress
Date published: 2004
Other:
 Volume ID: 17   ,  Issue ID: 2   ,  Pages: 143-7   ,  Word Count: 110  
    This preliminary study examined whether the practice of mind-body techniques decreases symptoms of posttraumatic stress in adolescents. Posttraumatic Stress Reaction Index questionnaires were collected from 139 high school students in Kosovo who participated in a 6-week program that included meditation, biofeedback, drawings, autogenic training, guided imagery, genograms, movement, and breathing techniques. Three separate programs were held approximately 2 months apart. There was no control group. Posttraumatic stress scores significantly decreased after participation in the programs. These scores remained decreased in the 2 groups that participated in the follow-up study when compared to pretest measures. These data indicate that mind-body skills groups were effective in reducing posttraumatic stress symptoms in war-traumatized high school students.