Mindfulness and the Military: New from PsychCentral

Mindfulness and the Military: Does Self-Acceptance Help Veterans?
A recently published article in the Journal of Clinical Psychology by Kearney, McDermott, Malte, Martinez, and Simpson (2012) may have broad implications for veterans suffering with symptoms of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). 

These researchers demonstrated that engagement in mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) showed significant improvements after six months in reducing soldiers’ symptoms of PTSD, depression, behavioral activation (the ability to engage in activities to achieve a goal in spite of aversive symptoms), and self-acceptance.

Association of participation in a mindfulness program with measures of PTSD, depression and quality of life in a veteran sample
Journal of Clinical Psychology
Volume 68, Issue 1, January 2012, Pages: 101–116, David J. Kearney, Kelly McDermott, Carol Malte, Michelle Martinez and Tracy L. Simpson. Article first published online : 28 NOV 2011

Abstract

Full Article (HTML)

Free PDF(160K) 

Recent TED Talks is a nice fit with the essence of this website.

Jonathan Haidt: Religion, evolution, and the ecstasy of self-transcendence

Psychologist Jonathan Haidt asks a simple, but difficult question: why do we search for self-transcendence? Why do we attempt to lose ourselves? In a tour through the science of evolution by group selection, he proposes a provocative answer.

Jonathan Haidt studies how -- and why -- we evolved to be moral. By understanding more about our moral roots, his hope is that we can learn to be civil and open-minded. His new book is "The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion." Full bio »

From Voice of America: Potential of psychedelics to treat mental problems and explore consciousness examined



UCLA researchers found
 the psychedelic compound,
psilocybin - found naturally
 in certain mushrooms -
can ease end-of-life anxiety in
cancer patients.



Scientists Explore Hallucinogens for PTSD, Sex Abuse Victims  (MP3)



Mind-altering compounds, such as LSD and psilocybin, stirred controversy in the 1960s. As the counter-culture’s psychedelic drugs of choice, the widespread use - and abuse - of hallucinogens prompted tougher anti-drug laws.

That also led to a crackdown on clinical studies of the drugs’ complex psychological effects.

However, now the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has begun to approve limited research into the potential benefits of psychedelic drugs. Voice of America

Alternative Therapies on the Rise Among Clients With PTSD

To get a better understanding of how often CAM is used for PTSD, Daniel J. Libby of the VA New England Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center in West Haven, Connecticut, reviewed data from 599 PTSD clients who were part of a larger survey. He found that nearly 40% of the clients used one of the 15 available CAM therapies during their treatment. The most commonly used types of CAM were exercise therapy and relaxation or meditation. He also discovered that the individuals who were most likely to use CAM were women, those with high levels of education, and older individuals. Participants who reported having another mental health issue in addition to PTSD were also among the most likely to use CAM techniques. The study showed that clients who used CAM in conjunction with EBT and exposure therapies had the highest rates of positive outcome. Libby added, “Thus, clinicians should encourage patients to adopt safe and effective CAM practices prior to and while undergoing the trauma-processing component of evidence-based PTSD treatments.” GoodTherapy.org

Reference:
Libby, D. J., Pilver, C. E., & Desai, R. (2012). Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among Individuals With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1037/a0027082