According to two recent researches that were presented on the 9th of April 2010 at the 31st Annual Meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, Seattle, Washington, transcendental meditation can be used to help in the reduction of symptoms of depression.
The transcendental meditation ™ technique is a type of meditation technique that was started by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in India. This technique is natural, simple and effortless. This method helps in the creation is a consciousness in the mind. When this procedure is practiced twice daily, for a period of 15 to 20 minutes, by closing the eyes, it can help relax both the mind and the body.
These two studies were carried out at the Charles Drew University, Los Angeles and the University of Hawaii, Kohala. They were based on African American and Native Hawaiians. The participants in these studies comprised of people who were aged 55 years or above and who were at risk of cardiovascular diseases. These participants were allocated on a random basis to the TM program or to health education control group. Their depression was then evaluated with the use of a standard test – the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) inventory for a period of over 9 to 12 months.
The outcomes of both of the studies demonstrate that important reductions in the symptoms of depression in comparison to health education controls. The greatest amount of reduction was found to be in participants who suffered from indications of clinical depression. The participants who practiced the TM technique showed an average decrease of 48 percent in the depressive symptoms.
The leading author and senior researcher at the Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention at the Maharishi University of Management, Sanford Nidich, said that clinically significant decrease with depressive symptoms were related to the practice of the Transcendental Meditation program. The results will lend a helping hand in the enhancement of mental health as well as in the reduction of the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and death.
The professor and director of Clinical Training of the Department of Psychology of UCLA who is also the co-author of the research, Hector Myers, explains that the results of these studies are hopeful and will be supportive in testing the efficacy of the TM technique as a therapeutic adjunct during the treatment of clinical depression.
The research published in the Integrative Cancer Therapies -“A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Effects of Transcendental Meditation on Quality of Life in Older Breast Cancer Patients” asserted that practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique, breast cancer patients’ stress can be reduced and their mental health improved as well as bring improvement in their emotional well-being.
Source: Bolo Health
Fri, May 14, 2010
Gerontology, Health And Aging, Lifestyle, Longevity