San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States.
Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States; Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States.
J Affect Disord. 2018 Feb;227:345-352. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2017.11.002. Epub 2017 Nov 4.
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is prevalent among military veterans and is associated with significant negative health outcomes. However, stigma and other barriers to care prevent many veterans from pursuing traditional mental health treatment. We developed a group-based Integrative Exercise (IE) program combining aerobic and resistance exercise, which is familiar to veterans, with mindfulness-based practices suited to veterans with PTSD. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of IE on PTSD symptom severity and quality of life, as well as assess the feasibility and acceptability of IE.
Veterans (N = 47) were randomized to either IE or waitlist control (WL). Veterans in IE were asked to attend three 1-h group exercise sessions for 12 weeks.
Compared with WL, veterans randomized to IE demonstrated a greater reduction in PTSD symptom severity (d = -.90), a greater improvement in psychological quality of life (d = .53) and a smaller relative improvement in physical quality of life (d = .30) Veterans' ratings of IE indicated high feasibility and acceptability.
The sample was relatively small and recruited from one site. The comparison condition was an inactive control.
This initial study suggests that IE is an innovative approach to treating veterans with symptoms of PTSD that reduces symptoms of posttraumatic stress and improves psychological quality of life. This approach to recovery may expand the reach of PTSD treatment into non-traditional settings and to veterans who may prefer a familiar activity, such as exercise, over medication or psychotherapy.
创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）在退伍军人中较为普遍，且与严重的负面健康后果相关。然而，耻辱感和其他阻碍治疗的因素使许多退伍军人无法接受传统的心理健康治疗。我们开发了一种基于小组的综合运动（IE）项目，该项目将退伍军人熟悉的有氧运动和抗阻运动与适合 PTSD 退伍军人的正念练习相结合。本研究旨在评估 IE 对 PTSD 症状严重程度和生活质量的影响，并评估 IE 的可行性和可接受性。
退伍军人（N=47）被随机分配到 IE 组或候补名单对照组（WL）。IE 组中的退伍军人被要求参加为期 12 周的 3 次 1 小时小组运动课程。
与 WL 相比，随机分配到 IE 的退伍军人 PTSD 症状严重程度降低（d=-.90），心理生活质量提高（d=.53），身体生活质量相对改善较小（d=.30）。退伍军人对 IE 的评价表明其具有较高的可行性和可接受性。
样本相对较小，仅在一个地点招募。比较条件是不活动对照。
这项初步研究表明，IE 是一种治疗 PTSD 症状退伍军人的创新方法，可减轻创伤后应激症状并改善心理健康。这种康复方法可能会将 PTSD 治疗扩展到非传统环境，并惠及那些可能更喜欢熟悉的活动（如运动）而不是药物或心理治疗的退伍军人。
