Transcendental Meditation and Reduced Trauma Symptoms in Women Inmates

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The pilot study investigates the potential benefits of the Transcendental Meditation program in reducing trauma, including PTSD, in female prisoners. Subjects will be randomly assigned to either the TM program or a wait list control group for a period of four months.

Detailed Description
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This randomized controlled pilot study will evaluate the effects of Transcendental Meditation ® (TM) on female offenders with trauma. Twenty-two inmates at the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Wilsonville, Oregon, with at least four months left of incarceration, will be enrolled in the study. Subjects will be randomly assigned to either a TM (n=11) or a wait-list control group (n=11). Subjects will be measured at baseline and four-month posttest, using the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian version (PCL-C) Twenty of the subjects (10 in each group) will take part in their treatment assignment and complete post-testing.

Official Title
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Transcendental Meditation and Reduced Trauma Symptoms in Women Inmates: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study

Conditions
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Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Transcendental Meditation program


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: female inmates, at least 4 months left of incarceration, signed written informed consent prior to baseline testing Exclusion Criteria: none
Sexes Eligible for Study
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Female

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Crossover Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| No Intervention: wait list control<br>Waitlist control subjects interested in learning the TM program will be asked to wait for 4 months before learning if they were randomly assigned to this comparison group. Controls will receive usual medical care during 4 month intervention period. | |
| Experimental: Transcendental Meditation<br>The TM technique is a simple, effortless, mental technique to reducing stress which allows the mind to experience finer levels of the thinking process to achieve a state of restful alertness. The Transcendental Meditation program will be taught as a standard seven-step program over five consecutive days. | Behavioral: Transcendental Meditation program<br>* a mental technique using a mantra or 'soothing sound' that refines the thought process enabling the mind to 'transcend' its own thinking process and experience a state of pure consciousness. Subjects practice this technique twice a day for 20 minutes sitting in chair with eyes closed.<br>* Other names: TM technique;|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Posttraumatic Stress Checklist- Civilian Version (PCL-C) total score | The PCL-C is a widely-used 17-item self-report questionnaire of trauma symptom with total score and intrusions, avoidance and hyperarousal subscales | 4 months | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Meditation, TM, PTSD, Trauma, Female Prisoners