Military-related posttraumatic stress disorder and mindfulness meditation: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Purpose Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a significant global mental health concern, especially in the military. This study aimed to estimate the efficacy of mindfulness meditation in the treatment of military-related PTSD, by synthesizing evidences from randomized controlled trials. Methods Five electronic databases (Pubmed, EBSCO Medline, Embase, PsychINFO and Cochrane Library) were searched for randomized controlled trials focusing on the treatment effect of mindfulness meditation on military-related PTSD. Information about study characteristics, participant characteristics, intervention details, PTSD outcomes, as well as potential adverse effects was extracted from the included studies. Risk of bias of all the included studies was critically assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration’s tool. R Statistical software was performed for data analysis. Results A total of 1899 records were initially identified and screened. Finally, 19 articles in English language with 1326 participants were included through strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. The results revealed that mindfulness meditation had a significantly larger effect on alleviating military-related PTSD symptoms compared with control conditions, such as treatment as usual, present-centered group therapy and PTSD health education (standardized mean difference = -0.33; 95% CI, -0.45, -0.21; p Conclusion Findings from this meta-analysis consolidate the efficacy and feasibility of mindfulness meditation in the treatment of military-related PTSD. Further evidences with higher quality and more rigorous design are needed in the future.