Georgetown University Study Shows Mindfulness Effective

Recently published in Psychiatry Research, a Georgetown psychiatrist has demonstrated learning mindfulness meditation during an eight-week course resulted in a lower stress response in people with generalized anxiety disorder.

In contrast, an eight-week Stress Management Education course, with general tips on the importance of good nutrition, sleep habits and other wellness topics resulted in a slight rise of such biomarkers.

“Anxiety disorders affects an estimated 15 million Americans each year,” says Dr. Elizabeth A. Hoge, an associate professor in Georgetown University Medical Center’s psychiatry department who led the study. “Mindfulness meditation training is relatively inexpensive and doesn’t carry a stigma or have the side effects that many medications have. Our study suggests that mindfulness meditation may be a helpful treatment strategy for people with anxiety.”