Relieve Trauma Symptoms in Female Prisoners with Meditation
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.
“Through providing a profound state of rest and relaxation, the TM technique allows inmates to relieve symptoms of deeply rooted trauma that form the basis of criminal behavior. As the grip of past traumas is loosened, inmates naturally calm down and become less violent and begin to take greater responsibility for their actions.” – David Lynch Foundation
Around 2 ¼ million people are incarcerated in the United States. Even though prisons are euphemistically labelled correctional facilities very little correction actually occurs. This is supported by the rates of recidivism. About three quarters of prisoners who are released commit crimes and are sent back to prison within 5-years.The lack of actual treatment for the prisoners leaves them ill equipped to engage positively in society either inside or outside of prison. Hence, there is a need for effective treatment programs that help the prisoners while in prison and prepares them for life outside the prison.
Prison time is meted out as a punishment and it is, as prison is a very stressful and difficult environment. This is compounded by the fact that most prisoners do not have well developed coping skills. In addition, many, especially female prisoners, have suffered from trauma, often experienced early in life such as abandonment, hunger, homelessness, domestic violence, sexual abuse, bullying, discrimination, drug and alcohol abuse, and witnessing crime – including murder. In addition, prisoners frequently suffer from attention deficit disorder. Hence there is a great need for better prison programs that can not only help the prisoner adjust to prison life but also to life after release
Prison provides a great deal of time for reflection and self-exploration. This provides an opportunity for growth and development. Contemplative practices are well suited to this environment. Meditation teaches skills that may be very important for prisoners. In particular, it puts the practitioner in touch with their own bodies and feelings. It improves present moment awareness and helps to overcome rumination about the past and negative thinking about the future. It’s been shown to be useful in the treatment of the effects of trauma and attention deficit disorder. It also relieves stress and improves overall health and well-being. Finally, meditation has been shown to be effective in treating depression, anxiety, and anger. It has also been shown to help overcome trauma in male prisoners.
So, meditation would appear to be well suited to addressing the issues of male prisoners. But, women are the fastest growing segment of the prison population. It has yet to be documented that meditation practice can be similarly useful for female prisoners. In today’s Research News article “Transcendental Meditation and Reduced Trauma Symptoms in Female Inmates: A Randomized Controlled Study.” See summary below or view the full text of the study at:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5363900/
Nidich and colleagues recruited female prisoners and randomly assigned them to either meditation or no treatment wait-list control groups. Transcendental meditation was taught in 30-minute sessions twice a week for 4 months in a group format and the prisoners were encouraged to practice for an additional 20 minutes twice per day. The prisoners were measured before training and 4 months later for trauma symptoms and perceived stress. They were measured before training and 4-months later for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms including total trauma scale, intrusions, avoidance, and hyperarousal.
It was reported that at baseline most of the women had clinically significant levels of PTSD. Following treatment PTSD scores declined significantly, by 45%, with medium to large effect sizes in the treatment but not the control group. There were also significant improvements in PTSD symptoms of intrusions, and hyperarousal. There was excellent, 81%, compliance with the program demands. These are impressive results for a relatively small pilot study. They suggest that meditation is an effective treatment for PTSD in women prisoners.
A large proportion of the prison population have experienced trauma and it is thought that the effects of these experiences have profoundly affected these individuals and their behavior. The ability of meditation to mitigate the effects of trauma and reduce stress make it ideal for the treatment of prisoners. It remains for future research to determine the long-term effects of meditation practice on these prisoners, their behavior in prison and after release, and their likelihood of committing new offenses.
So, relieve trauma symptoms in female prisoners with meditation.
“I’ve known inmates who have, as a result of their meditation practice, move from being violent streetfighters to gentle protectors of weaker prisoners. I’ve seen inmates develop an extraordinary amount of patience with exceedingly trying circumstances. I’ve seen seemingly macho men show a tender concern for others. In short, I’ve seen people who have committed some of the most serious crimes possible — people that some might describe as “animals” or “beyond hope” — becoming better people.” – Bodhipaksa
CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies
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Study Summary
Nidich, S., Seng, A., Compton, B., O’Connor, T., Salerno, J. W., & Nidich, R. (2017). Transcendental Meditation and Reduced Trauma Symptoms in Female Inmates: A Randomized Controlled Study. The Permanente Journal, 21, 16–008. http://doi.org/10.7812/TPP/16-008
Abstract
Context:
Compared with the general population, trauma experiences are higher among incarcerated women.
Objective:
To evaluate the effects of Transcendental Meditation (TM) on trauma symptoms in female offenders.
Design:
Twenty-two inmates at the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Wilsonville, OR, with at least 4 months left of incarceration were enrolled in this randomized controlled pilot study. Subjects were randomly assigned to either the TM group (n = 11) or a wait-list control group (n = 11).
Main Outcome Measures:
Subjects were measured at baseline and 4-month posttest using the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian version (PCL-C; primary outcome) with intrusive thoughts, avoidance, and hyperarousal subscales (secondary outcomes). Twenty of the subjects (10 in each group) took part in their treatment assignment and completed posttesting.
Results:
Significant reductions were found on total trauma (p < 0.036), intrusive thoughts (p < 0.026), and hyperarousal (p < 0.043) on the PCL-C. Effect sizes ranged from 0.65 to 0.99 for all variables. Eighty-one percent of the TM subjects were compliant with their program.
Conclusion:
The results of this study indicate feasibility of the TM program in a female prison population and suggest that TM may be an effective tool for decreasing trauma symptoms. Future large-scale research is warranted.