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A training programme involving automatic self-transcending meditation in late-life depression: preliminary analysis of an ongoing randomised controlled trial - RETRACTED

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Akshya Vasudev ,
Amanda Arena ,
Amer M. Burhan ,
Emily Ionson ,
Hussein Hirjee ,
Pramudith Maldeniya ,
Stephen Wetmore  and
Ronnie I. Newman
Akshya Vasudev*
Affiliation:
MBBS, MD, MRCPsych, Divisions of Geriatric Psychiatry and Clinical Pharmacology, Departments of Psychiatry and Medicine, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
Amanda Arena
Affiliation:
PhD, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
Amer M. Burhan
Affiliation:
MD, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
Emily Ionson
Affiliation:
HBSc, DCTM, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
Hussein Hirjee
Affiliation:
MMath, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
Pramudith Maldeniya
Affiliation:
MD, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
Stephen Wetmore
Affiliation:
MD, Department of Family Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
Ronnie I. Newman
Affiliation:
EdM, CAS, Art of Living Foundation, Canada; Nova Southeastern University Lifelong Learning Institute, Davie, FL, USA
*
Dr Akshya Vasudev, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Western University, #A2-607, Victoria Hospital, 800 Commissioners Road East, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5W9. Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

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Late-life depression affects 2–6% of seniors aged 60 years and above. Patients are increasingly embracing non-pharmacological therapies, many of which have not been scientifically evaluated. This study aimed to evaluate a category of meditation, automatic self-transcending meditation (ASTM), in alleviating symptoms of depression when augmenting treatment as usual (NCT02149810). The preliminary results of an ongoing single-blind randomised controlled trial comparing a training programme involving ASTM with a wait-list control indicate that a 12-week ASTM programme may lead to significantly greater reductions in depression and anxiety severity. As such, ASTM may be an effective adjunctive therapy in the treatment of late-life depression.

Type
Short Report
Information
BJPsych Open , Volume 2 , Issue 2 , March 2016 , pp. 195 - 198
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BYCreative Common License - NCCreative Common License - ND
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Non-Commercial, No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2016

Footnotes

Declaration of interest

R.I.N. is Director of Research and Health Promotion for the Art of Living Foundation, Canada and supervised the staff providing ASTM training.

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