A training programme involving automatic self-transcending meditation in late-life depression: preliminary analysis of an ongoing randomised controlled trial - RETRACTED
Akshya Vasudev,
Amanda Arena,
Amer M. Burhan,
Emily Ionson,
Hussein Hirjee,
Pramudith Maldeniya,
Stephen Wetmore,
Ronnie I. Newman
Affiliations
Akshya Vasudev
MBBS, MD, MRCPsych, Divisions of Geriatric Psychiatry and Clinical Pharmacology, Departments of Psychiatry and Medicine, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
Amanda Arena
PhD, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
Amer M. Burhan
MD, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
Emily Ionson
HBSc, DCTM, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
Hussein Hirjee
MMath, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
Pramudith Maldeniya
MD, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
Stephen Wetmore
MD, Department of Family Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
Ronnie I. Newman
EdM, CAS, Art of Living Foundation, Canada; Nova Southeastern University Lifelong Learning Institute, Davie, FL, USA
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.
