01/07/2014
This article was translated by an automatic translation system, and was therefore not reviewed by people.
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Meditation improves symptoms of mental illness Photo: stockphoto
NEW YORK - Thirty minutes of daily meditation may alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression , according to new research from the School of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University .
- Many people do meditation, but it is not a traditional therapeutic practice - says Professor Madhav Goyal , who led the study published in the journal " JAMA ." - In our study meditation seems to relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety with antidepressants results reported in other works .
The researchers assessed the degree of change in these symptoms in people who had a variety of medical conditions such as insomnia or fibromyalgia , although only a minority had been diagnosed with mental illness .
Goyal and his colleagues found that the so-called mindfulness meditation - a Buddhist technique of mindfulness - also successful in relieving pain and stress .
To carry out its review, the researchers analyzed 47 clinical trials done by June 2013 , with 3,515 participants , involving meditation and various problems of physical and mental health , including depression , anxiety, stress , insomnia , drug use , diabetes , heart disease , cancer and chronic pain .
They found moderate evidence of improvement in symptoms of anxiety, depression and pain after participants underwent a training program eight weeks in mindfulness meditation. But there was evidence of lower stress and improved quality of life . There was insufficient information to determine if other areas can be improved through meditation . In studies that followed participants for six months , improvements continued and no damage was observed with practice.
- Many people have the idea that meditation means sitting around doing nothing , but it is not true . Meditation is an active mind training to improve attention and there are different programs with different approachs - the researcher says .
Mindfulness meditation , the type that was more promising, is normally applied for 30 to 40 minutes a day and emphasizes acceptance of the feelings and thoughts of the present moment without judgment , in addition to the relaxation of body and mind .
More studies are needed to clarify the results are most affected by these meditation programs , as well as other meditation practices have better effects .
- The programs of meditation appear to have an effect above and beyond placebo - says Goyal .
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This article was translated by an automatic translation system, and was therefore not reviewed by people.