Seleni Institute and David Lynch Foundation Announce Perinatal Mental Health Research Award Funding

Research award program investigates Transcendental Meditation as possible treatment for perinatal anxiety disorders

The Seleni Institute and the David Lynch Foundation announced today a funding opportunity to facilitate the understanding, treatment, and/or prevention of perinatal anxiety through the use of the simple, evidence-based technique “Transcendental Meditation®.”

“We are committed to increasing the number of evidence-based tools to improve perinatal mental health” said Nitzia Logothetis, Founder and Executive Chairwoman of the Seleni Institute. “We are therefore thrilled to partner with the David Lynch Foundation as we work to explore whether transcendental mediation has a positive impact on anxiety during pregnancy.”

In addition to financial support from the Seleni Institute, the David Lynch Foundation will provide Transcendental Meditation® training for all appropriate study subjects. “Women deserve a full complement of options if they find themselves coping with stress and anxiety during pregnancy” said Bob Roth, Executive Director of the David Lynch Foundation. “Past independent studies of Transcendental Meditation have demonstrated its efficacy in reducing stress and anxiety, and we’re committed to investigating whether it brings the same benefits to bear for perinatal mental health.”

The Seleni Institute Perinatal Mental Health Research Award seeks to improve the diagnosis and treatment of reproductive and maternal mental health disorders by supporting innovative research of the highest quality and relevance. Awardees receive up to $30,000 in research support.