Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
Butler Hospital, Providence, RI, USA.
Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2023;15(1):2301205. doi: 10.1080/20008066.2023.2301205. Epub 2024 Feb 13.
Military sexual trauma (MST) is reported by up to 74% of women veterans in the United States and is a driver of poor behavioural and physical health. Self-compassion is a transdiagnostic, protective factor linked with improved posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and health behaviours. Thus, Mindful Self-Compassion training (MSC) may help ameliorate MST-related impacts. However, MSC can also temporarily increase distress (i.e. backdraft). Delivering it with elective trauma-informed yoga (TIY), which regulates acute distress, may help address this issue. This VA quality improvement project examined feasibility, acceptability, and reported benefits and challenges of a manualized 8-week MSC including within non-randomized subgroups: MSC (= 4) and MSC+ elective TIY classes (MSC+; = 4). Nine women veterans with a history of MST at a Vet Center in the Northeastern U.S.A. enrolled; eight completed, excluding one MSC+ participant. Measures included attrition (= 9), attendance (= 8), weekly (= 8) and posttreatment acceptability (= 6), validated symptom severity assessments (= 7), and an exit interview (= 8). Among completers, MSC attendance was excellent (89%) and higher among in MSC+ vs. MSC (94% vs. 84% sessions completed). On average across the two groups, depressive and PTSD symptom severity decreased by 21% and 30%, respectively. In exit interviews, participants across groups described improved coping with distress and psychiatric symptoms, reduced stress, and improved self-care and health behaviours. Although women in both groups reported backdraft during the programme, MSC+ also reported healthier coping and improved emotional processing. The results of this programme evaluation infer MSC may be feasible, acceptable, and beneficial for women survivors of MST in one Vet Center in the Northeastern USA. Further, temporary elevations in MSC-related distress may be ameliorated with adjunctive TIY. Given requests of women veterans in the USA. for additional complementary and integrative health treatment options, formal research on these approaches is warranted.
军事性创伤(MST)在美国高达 74%的女性退伍军人中被报告,是导致行为和身体健康状况不佳的一个驱动因素。自我同情是一种与创伤后应激障碍(PTSD)、抑郁和健康行为改善相关的跨诊断、保护因素。因此,正念自我同情训练(MSC)可能有助于减轻 MST 相关影响。然而,MSC 也可能会暂时增加痛苦(即回闪)。与调节急性痛苦的选修创伤知情瑜伽(TIY)一起提供 MSC,可能有助于解决这个问题。这个 VA 质量改进项目检查了一个 8 周的 MSC 方案的可行性、可接受性,以及报告的益处和挑战,包括在非随机亚组内:MSC(=4)和 MSC+选修 TIY 课程(MSC+;=4)。美国东北部的 Vet Center 招募了 9 名有 MST 病史的女性退伍军人;8 人完成了研究,除了一名 MSC+参与者。测量包括脱落率(=9)、出勤率(=8)、每周(=8)和治疗后接受度(=6)、验证的症状严重程度评估(=7)和退出访谈(=8)。在完成者中,MSC 的出勤率非常高(89%),MSC+组的出勤率高于 MSC 组(94%对 84%)。在这两个小组中,抑郁和 PTSD 症状严重程度分别下降了 21%和 30%。在退出访谈中,两个小组的参与者都描述了改善了对痛苦和精神症状的应对能力、减轻了压力、改善了自我保健和健康行为。尽管两个小组的女性都报告说在项目期间出现了回闪,但 MSC+组也报告说有更健康的应对方式和改善的情绪处理。这个方案评估的结果推断 MSC 可能对美国东北部一个 Vet Center 的 MST 女性幸存者是可行的、可接受的和有益的。此外,与附加的 TIY 一起,可能会减轻与 MSC 相关的痛苦的暂时增加。鉴于美国女性退伍军人对额外的补充和综合健康治疗选择的请求,对这些方法的正式研究是必要的。