Meditation · Yoga · Somatic and Movement Healing

Meditation and yoga for posttraumatic stress disorder: A meta-analytic review of randomized controlled trials

Gallegos AM, Crean HF, Pigeon WR, et al. · Clinical Psychology Review, 2017

This meta-analysis pooled 19 randomized controlled trials, covering 1,173 adults, that tested meditation or yoga for posttraumatic stress disorder. The researchers also checked whether results differed by type of practice, population, outcome measure, or control group. In this analysis, meditation and yoga were associated with a small to medium reduction in PTSD symptoms overall. No clear differences appeared between meditation and yoga or across populations, though smaller studies tended to show larger effects. The authors conclude these complementary approaches are promising and warrant further study. An honest limitation: the pattern of larger effects in small studies suggests that some estimates may be inflated, and these practices were studied as complements rather than replacements for established treatment.

Our summaries describe what each study found. They are not medical advice, and the practices at Halcyon are not a treatment for any condition.