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Research on Massage Therapy and Post Traumatic Stress
Alleviating Post-traumatic Stress in Children Following Hurricane Andrew
Field T, Seligman S, Schanberg S.
Journal of Applied Developmental psychology 17(1):37-50, 1996 January-March
Sixty grade-school children who showed classroom behaviour problems following
Hurricane Andrew were given massage therapy on 8 days, one month after the
hurricane. Scores on the PTSD Reaction Index suggest that the children were
experiencing post-traumatic stress.
As compared to a video attention control group. The children who received
massage therapy reported being happier and less anxious and had lower salivary
cortisol levels after the therapy. In addition, the massage therapy group showed
more sustained changes as manifested by lower scores on the Children's Manifest
Anxiety Scale, the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, and
self-drawings and were observed to be more relaxed. These positive effects were
promising given the persistence of PTSD symptoms noted for children who have not
received intervention following disasters such as hurricanes. (Note: the control
group also received physical contact).
Discussion of survey results concludes that massage could be a cost-effective
treatment for Post-traumatic stress disorder, as compared to psychotherapy and
pharmacological treatments, if it could be taught to parents.
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