The Goal of this current proposal is to study and discover what perceived health benefits are garnered from sitting meditation. Though Traditional psychiatry is still focused on cognitive therapy and medication, the new trend of utilizing sitting meditation, which this essay will refer to as “Zazen”, is becoming a reliable and effective tool in treating stress, anxiety, and depression related conditions. A limited, modern-day review of available information on this subject will show that without a doubt that the benefits of Zazen on the field of psychiatry are positive and pronounced.  This essay will paint a picture of a future where depressed and stressed patients can obtain true relief without the damning side-effects of pharmaceuticals. 

Zazen has attracted the interest of many psychotherapists to help reduce the negative impact of medications on patients. As of the time of this writing, all of the research surrounding Zazen and its effects on mental health is fairly recent when compared to the long history of studying into the human mind. The earliest research that could be found, circa 2000 clearly explained the differences and inclusions of Zazen as far as it is considered either as a spiritual task or a psychological practice. The author went into great detail explaining not only where Zazen came from, but to also explain its usefulness in the venue of psychology. It points to how effective sitting meditation is to the process of dealing with someone’s mental health issues regardless of whether it is done in a spiritual or a secular way. Interestingly, it also provides a theory of needing to learn and experience Zazen as a therapist or doctor in order to better help and understand patients these thoughts came from a mind already trained in the art of Zazen, as well as an educated psychiatrist. The point of its inclusion in this work isn’t as a direct tribute to the information of the source, but as a juxtaposition to indicate that those who already have backgrounds in Zazen already know, first hand, the definite merits of it on one’s personal well-being and mental health. 

Using Zazen in the treatment of depression has shown a significant statistical improvement over traditional medical controls. Most researchers and doctors do not have a background in Zen, which means the strongest advocates for using Zen are those whom started seeking creative treatments for age-old problems. As soldiers came back from war, more and more were being diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a generations old condition that was finally given validity and a name. Very few of the patients were responding well to cognitive therapy and medication alone. Almost as a lark, a few trials begin of Zazen interventions that were offered as adjunctive therapy. These reduced PTSD symptoms statistically compared with all comparators across all sources of trauma, who also were efficacious in reducing depressions symptoms, as well as having positive effects on anxiety issues and quality of life.  Prior to this, the Department of Veterans Affairs had already commissioned a massive study trying to bridge the gap between the massive interest in suing Zazen in the treatment of PTSD and the lack of studies into the effectiveness of such. The conclusion indicated that Zazen programs showed promise in reducing PTSD severity in veterans. The Veterans Administration is also hoping to get further clarification for whom the programs will be of interest and where Zazen training fits within mental health services. Given that the success of Zazen in relation to PTSD and depression has been so prevalent and unquestionable, it gives way to the query of whether this treatment can be applied and found useful in other venues of mental health.
