Transcendental Meditation and Reduced Trauma Symptoms in Women Inmates

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

Status

Completed

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT02791464

Enrollment

Registered

2016-06-06

Start date

2014-03-31

Completion date

2014-08-31

Last updated

2016-06-06

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

Keywords

Meditation, TM, PTSD, Trauma, Female Prisoners

Brief summary

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

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.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALTranscendental Meditation program

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.

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

CROSSOVER

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE (Investigator)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

FEMALE

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* female inmates, at least 4 months left of incarceration, signed written informed consent prior to baseline testing

Exclusion criteria

* none

Design outcomes

Primary

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

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026