Research & Resources
CMBM Published Research:
The Center is committed to the scientific evaluation of all its programs. Below are published articles, studies we are preparing for publication, and summaries of new research projects. For more information about the scales used in our research, You can scroll down to view all studies and annotations, or click on one of the following links to jump to a study of interest: Mind-Body Medicine
CancerGuides® Studies We are Preparing for Publication Other New & On-Going Research
Mind-Body Medicine
I. Effectiveness of a Mind-Body Medicine Professional Training Program in the United States In order to determine whether health professionals who had attended the Center for Mind-Body Medicine’s training program were incorporating mind-body skills into their professional and/or personal practices and whether they had a greater sense of life satisfaction, 451 health professionals who had attended the programs from 1998-2001 were asked to complete two questionnaires. Two hundred fifty-nine completed the questionnaire on the personal and professional use of mind-body skills 1 year after the training and 307 completed the well-being survey which was administered before and immediately after the training program. There was a significant increase in the number of participants who were teaching their clients to use all the mind-body modalities 1 year after the training. The results showed that participants were teaching the mind-body skills themselves rather than referring clients to others for training. There was also a significant increase in the personal use of mind-body skills by participants 1 year after the training. Immediately following the training, participants also had significantly higher life satisfaction scores.
II. PTSD Study with Kosovar High School Students: Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) This study demonstrates that the Center ’ s groundbreaking model can be used to produce highly significant and lasting changes in levels of posttraumatic stress, flashbacks, nightmares, and symptoms of withdrawal and numbing in highly traumatized children – those who lived in an area of Kosovo where in 1999 90% of the homes were burned and bombed and 20% of the children lost one or both parents. Eighty-two high school students in Kosovo participated in this randomized-controlled study. The program was conducted by teachers in an educational, supportive small group setting and included meditation, guided imagery, breathing techniques, and biofeedback as well as self-expression through words, drawings, and movement. All the students met the criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) which was measured using the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire. Following the program, the number of students having symptoms indicating PTSD was significantly reduced from 100% to 18%. The reduction in symptoms was maintained at a 3 month follow-up. This is the first randomized controlled trial (RCT) of any intervention with war traumatized children. It is also the first RCT of a successful, comprehensive mind-body approach with any traumatized population.
III. PTSD Study with Kosovar High School Students: Pilot Study The initial study conducted at the same high school in Kosovo as the randomized controlled study above also showed significant improvement in posttraumatic stress symptoms in students following participation in the mind-body skills group program. Posttraumatic Stress Reaction Index questionnaires were collected from 139 students who participated in the first 3 of these programs, and follow-up questionnaires were administered for two of the three programs. The percentage of students having symptoms indicating mild to severe levels of PTSD dropped from 88% before the program to 38% following the program. The benefits were maintained during follow-up in the programs where follow-up questionnaires were administered.
IV. Mind-Body Skills Groups and Self-Awareness in Medical Students This was a qualitative study performed at Georgetown University School of Medicine using the Center for Mind-Body Medicine program. Six open-ended questions were asked regarding students’ attitudes towards the program and how it affected them personally and professionally. Four hundred ninety-two verbatim responses from 82 first year medical students were analyzed. The data revealed 5 central themes. The students reported: (1) Meaningful connections between students including the opportunity to express feelings, realizing their shared attitudes, and recognizing the importance of relationships and personal connections to others; (2) Self-discovery including changing priorities, reaffirmation of currently held beliefs, and open mindedness; (3) Appreciation for learning both mind-body skills and academic improvement; (4) Stress relief; and (5) The value of mind-body skills in medical education. These results suggest that mind-body skills groups are a valuable and highly valued experiential approach to teaching and promoting self-awareness, self-reflection, and self care with an added benefit of increased awareness of the effectiveness of mind-body skills and complementary and alternative medicine modalities during the 4 years of undergraduate medical school experience.
V. Mind-Body Skills Groups Reduce Anxiety in Medical Students The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a mind-body skills stress reduction elective on Year 2 medical students. This study was performed at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Participating students had higher initial anxiety cores than students in the comparison croup. Anxiety in the study group declined significantly during the course with enrolled students becoming indistinguishable from non-enrolled counterparts. These decreased anxiety levels were sustained for 3 months following the course. The significant drop in anxiety scores suggests that this mind-body skills elective was an effective way to decrease anxiety in these pre-clinical medical students.
CancerGuides®VI. Study of An Integrative Cancer Care Professional Training Program in the United States Six months following the Center’s CancerGuides ® training in 2004, 90% of the participants reported that they had made positive changes in their clinical practices. The most commonly reported changes were increased confidence, providing additional programs/services, increased referrals, improved listening and patient interaction, improved skills, and more open discussions with patients. While there was a high level of professional use of most modalities prior to the training, six months following the training, there were significant increases in the use of relaxation, meditation, imagery, and music. Thirty-five percent of those responding at a six month follow-up reported an increase in acceptance of integrative cancer therapies at their institutions and 77% reported making positive changes in their own self-care.
Studies We are Preparing for Publication:
Data was gathered on 498 children who participated in Mind-Body Skills Groups taught by 38 Center-trained health professionals in Gaza in 2007. Their ages ranged from 8 to19 years with most being 11-15 years. Trauma exposure was very high as shown in the graph below. 
Results: There was a 54% decrease in the number of children with symptoms indicating the presence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as a significant decrease in the cluster symptoms of re-experiencing, avoidance, and arousal (i.e. difficulty sleeping and concentrating, outbursts of anger, exaggerated startle response, and hyper-vigilance). Total depression scores also decreased 14%. And significant improvement was measured in the subscales of negative mood, ineffectiveness, anhedonia (i.e. impaired ability to experience pleasure, loss of energy, problems with sleep and appetite, and a sense of isolation), and negative self-esteem.  Finally, the children felt more hopeful about their future and their lives as indicated by a statistically significant decrease in hopelessness (17% decrease). Follow-up data is currently being analyzed on these children. A similar study has been done in mind-body skills groups with adults measuring changes in PTSD, depression, anxiety, and quality of life. Data has been gathered on the effect of our training program with health professionals in Israel and a manuscript is in preparation with these results. New & On-Going Research
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© 2008 The Center for Mind-Body Medicine