Gordon, J. S., Staples, J. K., Blyta, A., & Bytyqi, M. (2004).

Treatment of posttraumatic stress

disorder in postwar Kosovo high school students using mind–body skills groups: A pilot
study. ​Journal of Traumatic Stress: Official Publication of The International Society for
Traumatic Stress Studies​, ​17​(2), 143-147.

After the Kosovo conflict from 1998-1999, 20% of all students in Suhareka Jeta e RE
(New Life) high school lost one or both parents. 4 months after the end of the NATO bombing,
139 students ages 12-19 years volunteered to participate in a study evaluating the effect of mind
body healing on PTSD. All students in the war zone had been directly exposed to assaults (90%
of all homes were destroyed). The MBM skills program was taught by five teachers trained by
CMBM faculty. During the study, students learned relaxation techniques, guided imagery,
autogenic training, quiet and active meditations, and biofeedback in which they were able to
express feelings/ thoughts through drawings. PTSD was measured using the PTSD Reaction
Index. Group I average PTSD went from 8.3 to 6.1, Group II: 10.8 to 5.8, and Group III: 11.4 to
5.5. The study found that MBM modalities decreases PTSD related symptoms which was
explained by the research that those skills enhance an individual's sense of control, lower
sympathetic arousal, decrease anxiety, and improve mood.

The authors James S. Gordon, Julie K. Staples, Afrim Blyta, Murat Bytyqi, Amy T.
Wilson are qualified to discuss the efficacy of MBM on treating high school students who have
PTSD in Kosovo because of their experience traveling there to teach the healing techniques and
observing how it impacted students. Although written more than 10 years ago, this source is still
relevant because there are still countries who are impacted by war who could use this research
that describes the efficacy of treatment methods. The authors thoroughly evaluated how all sides
of the issue were acknowledged by the source. For example they showed the lower PTSD scores
after the MBM skills were demonstrated, but also admitted that the symptoms could have
diminished due to passage of time. The coverage can be considered broad and deep because the
authors did not only describe the impact of MBM on PTSD, but they also mentioned several
other stress related conditions including depression and anxiety. The information contained in
the source can be verified elsewhere. For example, the author says that MBM healing has
improved PTSD in other areas as well which can be corroborated by Layne CM, Pynoos RS, and
Saltzman WR, their publication ​Trauma/grief–focused group psychotherapy: school-based
postwar intervention with traumatized Bosnian adolescents.​ They found that postwar group
psychotherapy reduced PTSD scores in Bosnia. The purpose of this article is to prove that MBM
is effective in treating PTSD in areas impacted by war, such as Kosovo. The audience is people
affected by PTSD, specifically students whose families and homes have been impacted by war.
The article is appropriate for this purpose and audience because it is able to provide evidence
proving the efficacy of MBM in its treatment of PTSD.