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THERAPIES & TRADITIONS · GUIDE

Meditation and Mindfulness for Veterans and First Responders

Urgent help first, then what trials of mindfulness and meditation show for veterans with PTSD and for police and other first responders, and where care that targets trauma comes first.

Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.

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If you are in crisis, get help first

Veterans, service members, National Guard and Reserve members and the people who support them: dial 988 then press 1, or text 838255, for free, confidential support 24/7. [1] You do not have to be enrolled in VA benefits or health care to connect. [1] Anyone in the US, including first responders: the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7/365. [2] In an immediate emergency in the US, call 911. Meditation is not a crisis tool and should not delay any of these steps.

Purpose and who this page is for

Veterans and first responders (police, firefighters, paramedics and similar) face repeated exposure to stressful and traumatic events. This page reviews research on mindfulness and meditation for stress and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in these groups. It is information only. Meditation is not a replacement for treatment from a clinician; see trauma and PTSD and meditation for PTSD and trauma.

Veterans with PTSD: the main trials

Trial or reviewWhat was studiedWhat it found
Minneapolis VA trial (116 veterans)Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) compared with present-centered group therapy, an active comparison. [3]Greater improvement in self-reported PTSD symptoms, but no greater chance of losing the PTSD diagnosis. The authors described the improvement as modest. [3]
Multisite trial (214 veterans)MBSR compared with present-centered group therapy. [4]Both groups improved on the clinician-rated scale with no significant difference between groups; MBSR was better on the self-report checklist, but not by week 16. [4]
San Diego VA trial (203 veterans)Transcendental Meditation compared with prolonged exposure therapy and with PTSD health education. [5]Meditation was not worse than exposure therapy; 61%, 42% and 32% of the three groups improved meaningfully. [5]

Points to keep in mind. The comparison groups were active, which is a stricter test than a waitlist, but participants know whether they are meditating, so expectation may play a part. The multisite study had high dropout and few women. [4] The San Diego trial was funded by the US Department of Defense. [5] A review of 26 randomized trials rated the strength of evidence low for mindfulness and meditation-based approaches because of contradictory results, and only two trials used objective outcome measures. [6] A review of 15 studies of mind-body therapies for post-9/11 veterans reported symptom improvements, but about 85% of participants were from earlier conflicts, mostly Vietnam. [7]

Overall: promising but limited, and mixed. Meditation may help some veterans with PTSD symptoms, but the effect sizes are modest and not consistent across trials.

First responders and police

  • A randomized trial of 114 police officers compared an 8-week mindfulness program with a waitlist. [8] The mindfulness group had greater improvements in distress, mental health symptoms and sleep quality, kept at 3 months, but there were no effects on hair cortisol or inflammatory markers. [8] Objective sleep measures from a wearable did not improve, though self-reported sleep did. [9]
  • A trial of 61 law enforcement officers against a no-intervention control found benefits at the end of training that were not maintained at three months. [10]
  • A small program in 30 officers had no control group, so it can only show feasibility. [11]
  • A 2026 review of 15 studies of PTSD treatments for first responders found trauma-focused therapy (EMDR and cognitive behavioral therapy) the most consistently effective, while mindfulness and resilience programs helped short-term well-being with limited evidence of lasting benefit. [12]

Evidence label for first responders: promising but limited; insufficient evidence of lasting benefit.

Frequently asked questions

Is meditation an effective treatment for PTSD in veterans?

It may help some. In a 116-veteran trial, MBSR gave modestly greater self-reported improvement than present-centered therapy, but not more loss of the diagnosis. [3] Trials disagree, so it is not a first-line substitute for trauma-focused care. [6]

Is Transcendental Meditation as good as exposure therapy?

In one funded trial of 203 veterans, TM was not worse than prolonged exposure therapy. [5] It is one trial, and results may not apply to everyone.

Does mindfulness help police officers?

Waitlist and no-treatment trials show short-term improvements in distress and sleep, but one trial found that gains were gone at three months. [8][10]

Can meditation make PTSD symptoms worse?

Possibly. About 8% of participants in a large review had a negative effect, and some people find mindfulness makes them feel worse. [13][14]

Who can I call if I am struggling?

Veterans can dial 988 then press 1. [1] Others in the US can call or reach the 988 Lifeline 24/7. [2]

More details: evidence, limits and cautions

The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.

Safety, trauma and who should check first
Meditation is usually considered low risk, but a review of 83 studies found about 8% of participants had a negative effect, most often anxiety and depression. [13] Some people find mindfulness makes them feel worse. [14] If you have PTSD, flashbacks or thoughts of self-harm, talk with your clinician before starting. Look at trauma-sensitive mindfulness and meditation difficulties, and stop if practice brings on distress. Ask about an instructor's training and experience before joining a group. [13]
When to seek conventional care first
Trauma-focused therapies remain the treatments with the most consistent evidence for first responders. [12] Do not stop any medicine or therapy because of meditation. See also who should check with a clinician before meditating.
References
  1. Veterans Crisis Line (US Department of Veterans Affairs). Veterans Crisis Line. Read 2026-10-22.
  2. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. 988 Lifeline. Read 2026-10-22.
  3. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Veterans: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA, 2015. Abstract read via PubMed 2026-10-22.
  4. A Multisite Randomized Controlled Trial of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Psychiatric research and clinical practice, 2019. Abstract read via PubMed 2026-10-22.
  5. Non-trauma-focused meditation versus exposure therapy in veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder: a randomised controlled trial. The lancet. Psychiatry, 2018. Abstract read via PubMed 2026-10-22.
  6. Randomized controlled trials of mind-body interventions for posttraumatic stress disorder: a systematic review. Frontiers in psychology, 2023. Abstract read via PubMed 2026-10-22.
  7. Mind-Body Therapy for Military Veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Systematic Review. Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.), 2018. Abstract read via PubMed 2026-10-22.
  8. The Impact of Mindfulness Training on Police Officer Stress, Mental Health, and Salivary Cortisol Levels. Frontiers in psychology, 2021. Abstract read via PubMed 2026-10-22.
  9. The impact of mindfulness training on posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, subjective sleep quality, and objective sleep outcomes in police officers. Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy, 2024. Abstract read via PubMed 2026-10-22.
  10. Mindfulness-based resilience training to reduce health risk, stress reactivity, and aggression among law enforcement officers: A feasibility and preliminary efficacy trial. Psychiatry research, 2018. Abstract read via PubMed 2026-10-22.
  11. Mindfulness training reduces PTSD symptoms and improves stress-related health outcomes in police officers. Journal of police and criminal psychology, 2021. Abstract read via PubMed 2026-10-22.
  12. Interventions for post-traumatic stress disorder among first responders: implications for public health response and system resilience. International journal of emergency medicine, 2026. Abstract read via PubMed 2026-10-22.
  13. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Meditation and Mindfulness: Effectiveness and Safety. Read 2026-10-22.
  14. NHS. Mindfulness. Page last reviewed 17 August 2026. Read 2026-10-22.
Education, not medical advice. This page is for general information. It does not diagnose or treat any condition and is not a substitute for care from a qualified health professional. Natural does not automatically mean safe. Ask a clinician or pharmacist before changing your care, especially if you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a health condition.