1 208 127 A SINGLE SESSION OF AN INTEGRATED YOGA PROGRAM AS A STRESS MANAGEMENT TOOL FOR SCHOOL EMPLOYEES: COMPARISON OF DAILY PRACTICE AND NONDAILY PRACTICE OF A YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM. OBJECTIVES: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE EFFECT OF THE DAILY PRACTICE OF A YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM LEARNT DURING A SINGLE SESSION OF AN INTEGRATED YOGA INTERVENTION THAT WAS DEVELOPED BY US AS A STRESS MANAGEMENT TOOL FOR SCHOOL EMPLOYEES. SUBJECTS: NINETY SCHOOL EMPLOYEES. DESIGN: CASE-CONTROL STUDY. THREE MONTHS AFTER THE INTERVENTION, THE SUBJECTS WERE ASSIGNED TO A DAILY PRACTICE GROUP (CASE: N=43) AND A NONCONSECUTIVE DAILY PRACTICE GROUP (CONTROL: N=47) ACCORDING TO THEIR DAILY PRACTICE LEVEL OF THE YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM. INTERVENTIONS: THE SUBJECTS PARTICIPATED IN A STRESS MANAGEMENT EDUCATION PROGRAM BASED ON AN INTEGRATED YOGA THERAPY SESSION. THE PROGRAM INCLUDED PSYCHOLOGICAL EDUCATION AND COUNSELING ABOUT STRESS MANAGEMENT AND YOGA THEORIES, AS WELL AS THE PRACTICES OF ASANAS, PRANAYAMA, RELAXATION, AND COGNITIVE STRUCTURE BASED ON INDIAN PHILOSOPHY. OUTCOME MEASURES: ASSESSMENTS WERE PERFORMED BEFORE AND AFTER THE PROGRAM USING THE SUBJECTIVE UNITS OF DISTRESS FOR MIND AND BODY AND THE TWO-DIMENSIONAL MOOD SCALE. THE GENERAL HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE 28 (GHQ28) WAS USED TO ASSESS THE MENTAL HEALTH STATE BEFORE THE INTERVENTION AND AT 3 MONTHS AFTER THE PROGRAM. RESULTS: THE SUBJECTS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN THEIR LEVELS OF CALMNESS, COMFORT, AND CHEERFULNESS (P<0.001) AND SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN COGNITIVE MIND AND BODY STRESS (P<0.001) AFTER PARTICIPATING IN THE INTEGRATED YOGA PROGRAM. A COMPARISON OF THE TOTAL SCORES ON THE GHQ28 USING A TWO-WAY ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE SHOWED SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS IN TERMS OF BOTH INTERACTION (P=0.047) AND THE MAIN EFFECT (P=0.026). CONCLUSIONS: THE PRESENT RESULTS SUGGESTED THAT A SINGLE SESSION OF AN INTEGRATED YOGA PROGRAM WAS EFFECTIVE FOR REDUCING STRESS AND THAT THE MENTAL HEALTH OF SCHOOL EMPLOYEES WAS PROMOTED BY THE DAILY PRACTICE OF THE YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM. 2015 2 678 35 EFFECT OF A YOGA PRACTICE SESSION AND A YOGA THEORY SESSION ON STATE ANXIETY. YOGA TECHNIQUES PRACTICED FOR VARYING DURATIONS HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE STATE ANXIETY. IN THIS STUDY, THERE WERE 300 NAIVE-TO-YOGA PERSONS OF BOTH SEXES WHO WERE ATTENDING A YOGA THERAPY CENTER IN NORTH INDIA FOR STRESS RELIEF AS DAY VISITORS AND WERE NOT RESIDING AT THE CENTER. THEY WERE ASSIGNED TO TWO GROUPS, YOGA PRACTICE AND YOGA THEORY, AND THEIR STATE ANXIETY WAS ASSESSED BEFORE AND AFTER A 2-HR. YOGA SESSION. A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN SCORES ON STATE ANXIETY WAS FOUND IN THE YOGA PRACTICE GROUP (14.7% DECREASE), AS WELL AS IN THE YOGA THEORY GROUP (3.4% DECREASE). THE DIFFERENCE IN SCORES FOLLOWING THE SESSIONS WAS STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. HENCE, YOGA PRACTICE AS WELL AS LEARNING ABOUT THEORETICAL ASPECTS OF YOGA APPEAR TO REDUCE STATE ANXIETY, WITH A GREATER REDUCTION FOLLOWING YOGA PRACTICE. 2009 3 2103 39 THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON FUNCTIONAL RECOVERY LEVEL IN SCHIZOPHRENIC PATIENTS. PURPOSE: THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY IS TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON FUNCTIONAL RECOVERY LEVEL IN SCHIZOPHRENIC PATIENTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED IN QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN WITH PRETEST-POSTTEST CONTROL GROUP. THE POPULATION OF THE STUDY CONSISTED OF SCHIZOPHRENIC PATIENTS WITH REGISTERED IN MALATYA AND ELAZIG COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTERS AND REGULARLY GOING TO THESE CENTERS. THE SAMPLE GROUP OF THE STUDY CONSISTED OF TOTALLY 100 PATIENTS INCLUDING 50 PATIENTS IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP AND 50 PATIENTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP WHO WERE SPECIFIED THROUGH POWER ANALYSIS AND CHOSEN BY USING RANDOM SAMPLING METHOD FROM THIS POPULATION. THE DATA WERE COLLECTED BETWEEN APRIL 2015 AND AUGUST 2015. 'PATIENT DESCRIPTION FORM' AND 'FROGS' WERE USED TO COLLECT THE DATA. YOGA WAS APPLIED TO PATIENTS IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP. ANY INTERVENTION WAS NOT MADE TO PATIENTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP. PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION, ARITHMETIC MEAN, STANDARD DEVIATION, CHI-SQUARE, INDEPENDENT SAMPLES T TEST, AND PAIRED T TEST WERE USED TO ASSESS THE DATA. RESULTS: PATIENTS IN THE CONTROL AND EXPERIMENTAL GROUP PRETEST SUBSCALE AND THE TOTAL MEANS SCORES OF FROGS WAS FOUND TO BE LOW. IN THE POSTTEST SUBSCALE AND TOTAL MEANS SCORES OF FROGS IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP WERE HIGHER THAN IN THE CONTROL GROUP AND THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THEM WERE FOUND TO BE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (P<0.05). IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP PRETEST AND POSTTEST SUBSCALE AND TOTAL MEANS SCORES OF FR0GS WAS DETERMINED TO BE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: YOGA THAT APPLIED TO SCHIZOPHRENIC PATIENTS IT WAS DETERMINED TO INCREASED THE LEVEL OF FUNCTIONAL RECOVERY. IT CAN BE SUGGESTED THAT YOGA SHOULD BE USED AS AN COMPLEMENTARY METHOD IN NURSING PRACTISE IN ORDER TO INCREASE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE TREATMENT. 2016 4 2871 37 YOGA-BASED RELAXATION TECHNIQUE FACILITATES SUSTAINED ATTENTION IN PATIENTS WITH LOW BACK PAIN: A PILOT STUDY. CONTEXT: THE EXPERIENCE OF PAIN STRONGLY INFLUENCES SUSTAINED ATTENTION, WHICH IS IMPORTANT FOR NEUROCOGNITIVE PERFORMANCE. YOGA-BASED RELAXATION TECHNIQUES MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING SUSTAINED ATTENTION BY ATTENUATING PAIN IN PATIENTS WITH LOW BACK PAIN. HENCE, WE AIMED TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF A YOGA-BASED RELAXATION TECHNIQUE ON SUSTAINED ATTENTION AND SELF-REPORTED PAIN DISABILITY IN PATIENTS WITH LOW BACK PAIN. METHODS: A TOTAL OF 22 MEN AGED 30 TO 50 YEARS WITH LOW BACK PAIN WERE RECRUITED FOR THE STUDY. THEY WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER THE YOGA (N = 11) OR CONTROL (N = 11) GROUPS. THE YOGA GROUP PRACTICED A YOGA-BASED RELAXATION TECHNIQUE (YBRT) 1 HOUR A DAY FOR 4 WEEKS AND THE CONTROL GROUP MAINTAINED THEIR USUAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY REGIMEN. ASSESSMENTS INCLUDED THE SUSTAINED ATTENTION TO RESPONSE TASK (SART) AND THE OSWESTRY LOW BACK PAIN DISABILITY QUESTIONNAIRE (OLBPDQ) MEASURED BEFORE AND AFTER THE 4-WEEK INTERVENTION. RESULTS: THE STUDY SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN ALL SELF-REPORTED OLBPDQ DOMAINS AND IMPROVEMENT IN SUSTAINED ATTENTION IN A BEFORE AND AFTER COMPARISON 4 WEEKS FOLLOWING THE YOGA INTERVENTION. PEARSON'S CORRELATION ALSO SHOWED A POSITIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN SUSTAINED ATTENTION AND PAIN REDUCTION FOLLOWING THE YOGA INTERVENTION. CONCLUSION: THE FINDINGS INDICATE THAT YOGA PRACTICE REDUCES PAIN AND SIMULTANEOUSLY IMPROVES INFORMATION PROCESSING SPEED WITH IMPULSE CONTROL DURING THE PERFORMANCE OF A SUSTAINED ATTENTION TASK. 2020 5 1442 34 INCREASED MENTAL WELL-BEING AND REDUCED STATE ANXIETY IN TEACHERS AFTER PARTICIPATION IN A RESIDENTIAL YOGA PROGRAM. BACKGROUND REDUCING STRESS IN THE WORKPLACE IMPROVES MENTAL HEALTH. TEACHING IS OF SOCIAL IMPORTANCE, BUT IT MAY RECEIVE INADEQUATE RECOGNITION AND REWARDS. THE PRESENT STUDY COMPARED MENTAL WELL-BEING AND STATE ANXIETY IN PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS WHO PRACTICED 15 DAYS OF YOGA IN A RESIDENTIAL SETTING WITH THOSE WHO CONTINUED THEIR USUAL ROUTINE. MATERIAL AND METHODS WE ENROLLED 236 PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STUDY. WE ASSIGNED 118 PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS (GROUP MEAN +/-S.D., AGE 41.5+/-6.0 YEARS, 74 FEMALES) TO THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP; THEY UNDERWENT 15 DAYS OF YOGA TRAINING FOR 6 HOURS/DAY) IN A RESIDENTIAL YOGA CENTER. THE NON-YOGA CONTROL GROUP (GROUP MEAN +/-S.D., AGE 42.3+/-6.0 YEARS, 79 FEMALES) CONSISTED OF 118 TEACHERS WHO CONTINUED WITH THEIR NORMAL TEACHING ROUTINE. RESULTS AFTER 15 DAYS IN THE RESIDENTIAL YOGA PROGRAM, THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN OVERALL MENTAL WELL-BEING (P<.001) AND LOWER STATE ANXIETY (P<.01) (REPEATED-MEASURES ANOVA, FOLLOWED BY POST HOC MULTIPLE COMPARISON TESTS). AT BASELINE, THE NON-YOGA CONTROL GROUP HAD HIGHER LEVELS OF STATE ANXIETY, PRESUMABLY RELATED TO THEIR REMAINING IN THE WORKPLACE. CONCLUSIONS THE STUDY WAS A 15-DAY, COMPARATIVE, CONTROLLED TRIAL. THE RESULTS SHOW THAT AFTER 15 DAYS OF PARTICIPATION IN THE RESIDENTIAL YOGA PROGRAM, PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS INCREASED ALL ASPECTS OF MENTAL WELL-BEING AND HAD REDUCED STATE ANXIETY. 2018 6 1056 42 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY OF WOMEN. UNLABELLED: YOGA HAS OFTEN BEEN PERCEIVED AS A METHOD OF STRESS MANAGEMENT TOOL THAT CAN ASSIST IN ALLEVIATING DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY DISORDERS. THIS STUDY SOUGHT TO EVALUATE THE INFLUENCE OF YOGA IN RELIEVING SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY IN WOMEN WHO WERE REFERRED TO A YOGA CLINIC. METHODS: THE STUDY INVOLVED A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF WOMEN WHO WERE REFERRED TO A YOGA CLINIC FROM JULY 2006 TO JULY 2007. ALL NEW CASES WERE EVALUATED ON ADMISSION USING A PERSONAL INFORMATION QUESTIONNAIRE WELL AS BECK AND SPIELBERGER TESTS. PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED INTO AN EXPERIMENTAL AND A CONTROL GROUP. THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP (N=34) PARTICIPATED IN TWICE WEEKLY YOGA CLASSES OF 90 MIN DURATION FOR TWO MONTHS. THE CONTROL GROUP (N=31) WAS ASSIGNED TO A WAITING LIST AND DID NOT RECEIVE YOGA. BOTH GROUPS WERE EVALUATED AGAIN AFTER THE TWO-MONTH STUDY PERIOD. RESULTS: THE AVERAGE PREVALENCE OF DEPRESSION IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP PRE AND POST YOGA INTERVENTION WAS 12.82+/-7.9 AND 10.79+/-6.04 RESPECTIVELY, A STATISTICALLY INSIGNIFICANT DECREASE (P=0.13). HOWEVER, WHEN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP WAS COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP, WOMEN WHO PARTICIPATED IN YOGA CLASSES SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN STATE ANXIETY (P=0.03) AND TRAIT ANXIETY (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: PARTICIPATION IN A TWO-MONTH YOGA CLASS CAN LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN PERCEIVED LEVELS OF ANXIETY IN WOMEN WHO SUFFER FROM ANXIETY DISORDERS. THIS STUDY SUGGESTS THAT YOGA CAN BE CONSIDERED AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY OR AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD FOR MEDICAL THERAPY IN THE TREATMENT OF ANXIETY DISORDERS. 2009 7 1616 39 MINDFUL AWARENESS FOR FEMALE DENTAL STUDENTS THROUGH YOGA, MOTIVATIONAL VIDEO, AND A COMBINATION OF TWO ON STRESS REDUCTION. OBJECTIVE: ASSESSMENT OF THE POTENTIAL EFFECT OF YOGA, MOTIVATIONAL VIDEOS, AND A COMBINATION OF TWO ON STRESS REDUCTION IN FEMALE DENTAL STUDENTS. METHODS: THE CURRENT STUDY DESIGN IS A NONRANDOMIZED TRIAL CARRIED OUT AMONG FEMALE DENTAL STUDENTS (N = 120). THE SELECTED SUBJECTS WERE ALLOCATED INTO THREE GROUPS, NAMELY, GROUP A: YOGA GROUP ASSIGNED UNDER A PROFESSIONAL YOGA INSTRUCTOR, GROUP B: MOTIVATIONAL VIDEO GROUP, AND GROUP C: A COMBINATION OF TWO (A AND B) INVOLVING YOGA SESSIONS AND MOTIVATIONAL VIDEOS; FOLLOWING WHICH FORMATIVE EXAMINATIONS WERE CARRIED OUT AT 6 WEEKS WHICH WERE REFERRED TO AS STRESSOR 1 AND THOSE CARRIED OUT AT 12 WEEKS WERE REFERRED TO AS STRESSOR 2. USING SPIELBERGER'S STATE-TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY FOR ADULTS (STAI-A) RECORDINGS WERE MEASURED AT BASELINE, STRESSOR 1, AND STRESSOR 2. RESULTS: THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN TRAIT ANXIETY SCORES AT BOTH STRESSORS IN ALL THE GROUPS WITH A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN DEPRESSION SCORE FROM STRESSOR 1 TO 2 IN GROUP 1 AND GROUP 3 SUBJECTS. THE SIGNIFICANT DECREASE OCCURRED IN STAI-A SCORES IN GROUP 1 AND GROUP 3 SUBJECTS AT BOTH STRESSORS (P < 0.001) WITH NO CHANGE OBSERVED IN GROUP 2 SUBJECTS. CONCLUSION: THE PRESENT STUDY IS ONE OF A KIND AND POSITIVELY CORRELATES YOGA AND MOTIVATIONAL VIDEOS WITH STRESS REDUCTION. BOTH OF THESE INTERVENTIONS PROVED TO BE BENEFICIARY FOR PHYSICAL AS WELL AS MENTAL HEALTH OF STUDY SUBJECTS. 2020 8 2227 43 THE IMPACT OF YOGA NIDRA AND SEATED MEDITATION ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF COLLEGE PROFESSORS. BACKGROUND: WORLD STATISTICS FOR THE PREVALENCE OF ANXIETY AND MOOD DISORDERS SHOWS THAT A GREAT NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS WILL EXPERIENCE SOME TYPE OF ANXIETY OR MOOD DISORDER AT SOME POINT IN THEIR LIFETIME. MIND-BODY INTERVENTIONS SUCH AS HATHA YOGA AND SEATED MEDITATION HAVE BEEN USED AS A FORM OF SELF-HELP THERAPY AND IT IS ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR CHALLENGING OCCUPATIONS SUCH AS TEACHERS AND PROFESSORS. AIMS: IN THIS INVESTIGATION, WE AIMED AT OBSERVING THE IMPACT OF YOGA NIDRA AND SEATED MEDITATION ON THE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION LEVELS OF COLLEGE PROFESSORS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: SIXTY COLLEGE PROFESSORS, MEN AND WOMEN, AGED BETWEEN 30 AND 55 YEARS WERE RANDOMLY ALLOCATED IN ONE OF THE THREE EXPERIMENTAL GROUPS: YOGA NIDRA, SEATED MEDITATION, AND CONTROL GROUP. PROFESSORS WERE EVALUATED TWO TIMES THROUGHOUT THE 3-MONTH STUDY PERIOD. PSYCHOLOGICAL VARIABLES INCLUDED ANXIETY, STRESS, AND DEPRESSION. RESULTS: DATA ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT THE RELAXATION GROUP PRESENTED BETTER INTRAGROUP RESULTS IN THE ANXIETY LEVELS. MEDITATION GROUP PRESENTED BETTER INTRAGROUP RESULTS ONLY IN THE ANXIETY VARIABLE (PHYSICAL COMPONENT). INTERGROUP ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT, EXCEPT FOR THE DEPRESSION LEVELS, BOTH INTERVENTION GROUPS PRESENTED BETTER RESULTS THAN THE CONTROL GROUP IN ALL OTHER VARIABLES. CONCLUSIONS: PREPOST RESULTS INDICATE THAT BOTH INTERVENTIONS REPRESENT AN EFFECTIVE THERAPEUTIC APPROACH IN REDUCING ANXIETY AND STRESS LEVELS. HOWEVER, THERE WAS A TENDENCY TOWARD A GREATER EFFECTIVENESS OF THE YOGA NIDRA INTERVENTION REGARDING ANXIETY, WHICH MIGHT REPRESENT AN EFFECTIVE TOOL IN REDUCING BOTH COGNITIVE AND PHYSIOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY. 2018 9 1512 34 IS THERE MORE TO YOGA THAN EXERCISE? CONTEXT: YOGA IS INCREASING IN POPULARITY, WITH AN ESTIMATED 15 MILLION PRACTITIONERS IN THE UNITED STATES, YET THERE IS A DEARTH OF EMPIRICAL DATA ADDRESSING THE HOLISTIC BENEFITS OF YOGA. OBJECTIVE: TO COMPARE THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL BENEFITS OF AN EXERCISE-BASED YOGA PRACTICE TO THAT OF A MORE COMPREHENSIVE YOGA PRACTICE (ONE WITH AN ETHICAL/SPIRITUAL COMPONENT). DESIGN: STUDENTS WITH MILD TO MODERATE DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, OR STRESS AND WHO AGREED TO PARTICIPATE WERE ASSIGNED TO ONE OF THREE GROUPS: INTEGRATED YOGA, YOGA AS EXERCISE, CONTROL. PARTICIPANTS: A TOTAL OF 81 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS 18 YEARS AND OLDER AT A UNIVERSITY IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, STRESS, HOPE, AND SALIVARY CORTISOL. RESULTS: OVER TIME, PARTICIPANTS IN BOTH THE INTEGRATED AND EXERCISE YOGA GROUPS EXPERIENCED DECREASED DEPRESSION AND STRESS, AN INCREASED SENSE OF HOPEFULNESS, AND INCREASED FLEXIBILITY COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. HOWEVER, ONLY THE INTEGRATED YOGA GROUP EXPERIENCED DECREASED ANXIETY-RELATED SYMPTOMS AND DECREASED SALIVARY CORTISOL FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END OF THE STUDY. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA, PRACTICED IN A MORE INTEGRATED FORM, IE, WITH AN ETHICAL AND SPIRITUAL COMPONENT, MAY PROVIDE ADDITIONAL BENEFITS OVER YOGA PRACTICED AS AN EXERCISE REGIMEN. 2011 10 893 26 EFFECT OF YOGA-BASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ON PERCEIVED STRESS, ANXIETY, AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN YOUNG ADULTS. PURPOSE: THIS STUDY, CONDUCTED AT A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY IN TURKEY, SOUGHT TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA-BASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ON PERCEIVED STRESS, ANXIETY, AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN YOUNG ADULTS. DESIGN AND METHODS: THIS STUDY WAS PLANNED AS A SEMIEXPERIMENTAL NONRANDOMIZED STUDY WITH A CONTROL GROUP. FINDINGS: YOGA-BASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY DECREASED THE PERCEIVED STRESS AND STATE ANXIETY LEVELS, BUT HAD NO EFFECT ON TRAIT ANXIETY LEVELS AND QUALITY OF LIFE. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOGA-BASED TREATMENT CAN BE INCLUDED IN NURSING INTERVENTIONS FOR REDUCING STRESS AND ANXIETY LEVELS IN YOUNG ADULTS. 2020 11 330 34 APPLICATION OF AN INTEGRATIVE YOGA THERAPY PROGRAMME IN CASES OF ESSENTIAL ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION IN PUBLIC HEALTHCARE. OBJECTIVE: TO EXAMINE THE EFFICACY OF AN INTEGRATIVE YOGA PROGRAMME AS ADJUVANT TREATMENT OF ESSENTIAL ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION. METHODS: AN INTEGRATIVE YOGA PROGRAMME WAS CONDUCTED DURING THREE MONTHS IN 26 SESSIONS WITH A GROUP OF TEN ESSENTIAL ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION PATIENTS AT A PUBLIC HEALTH CENTRE. THE SAME NUMBER OF PATIENTS ACTED AS THE CONTROL GROUP WITHOUT TREATMENT. THE PATIENTS WERE RANDOMLY SELECTED AND ASSIGNED TO THE GROUPS. ALL PATIENTS FILLED IN THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE AFFECT SCHEDULE (PANAS), THE HOSPITAL ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SCALE (HADS) AND THE SMITH RELAXATION STATES INVENTORY 3 (SRSI3) BEFORE AND AFTER THE TREATMENT. RESULTS: A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION OF SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE, NEGATIVE AFFECT, SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY AND DEGREE OF STRESS COULD BE OBSERVED IN THE STUDY GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: THESE POSITIVE AND PROMISING RESULTS CONFIRM THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THESE TECHNIQUES IN THE TREATMENT OF ESSENTIAL ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION AND SUGGEST POSSIBLE FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS. 2014 12 1085 40 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON STRESS, FATIGUE, MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN, AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG EMPLOYEES OF DIAMOND INDUSTRY: A NEW APPROACH IN EMPLOYEE WELLNESS. BACKGROUND: DIAMOND INDUSTRY EMPLOYEES OFTEN EXPERIENCE MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN, FATIGUE, AND STRESS, CONTRIBUTING TO A LOW QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL). YOGA IS AN ANCIENT DISCIPLINE OF MIND-BODY PRACTICE YOGA HAS NUMEROUS HEALTH BENEFITS. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE EFFICACY OF WORKPLACE YOGA IN IMPROVING STRESS, MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN, FATIGUE, AND QOL AMONG EMPLOYEES OF THE DIAMOND INDUSTRY. METHODS: ONE-HUNDRED SIXTY-SIX EMPLOYEES OF THE DIAMOND INDUSTRY BETWEEN THE AGES OF 20 AND 60 PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY. PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSIGNED TO EITHER YOGA (N = 84) OR WAITLIST (N = 82) GROUPS. THE YOGA GROUP RECEIVED ONE HOUR OF YOGA, FOUR DAYS A WEEK FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE MONTHS. PARTICIPANTS IN THE WAITLIST GROUP FOLLOWED THEIR DAILY ROUTINES. MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN, FATIGUE, STRESS, AND QOL WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE AND AFTER THREE MONTHS. RESULTS: ONE-HUNDRED FIFTY-FIVE EMPLOYEES COMPLETED THE STUDY. THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED SIGNIFICANT (P < 0.05) IMPROVEMENT IN PAIN, PERCEIVED STRESS, FATIGUE, AND QOL DOMAINS AFTER THREE MONTHS COMPARED TO BASELINE. THE WAITLIST GROUP SHOWED NO SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN ANY OF THE MEASURES. IN THE POST SCORES COMPARISON BETWEEN THE GROUPS REVEALED A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE GROUPS. CONCLUSION: WORKPLACE YOGA FOUND TO BE A USEFUL, COST-EFFECTIVE AND FEASIBLE INTERVENTION IN IMPROVING STRESS, MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN, FATIGUES AND QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG EMPLOYEES OF THE DIAMOND INDUSTRY. YOGA MAY BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE WORKPLACE AS A WELLNESS PROGRAM AT THE WORKPLACE. 2021 13 2112 32 THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON STRESS, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION IN WOMEN. BACKGROUND: IN RECENT DECADES, SEVERAL MEDICAL AND SCIENTIFIC STUDIES ON YOGA PROVED IT TO BE VERY USEFUL IN THE TREATMENT OF SOME DISEASES. THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON STRESS, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION IN WOMEN LIVING IN ILAM, IRAN. METHODS: THIS STUDY IS A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY WITH PRE-POST TEST. TO COLLECT DATA, THE QUESTIONNAIRE OF DASS-21 (DEPRESSION ANXIETY STRESS SCALE-21) WAS USED. FOR ELIGIBLE SAMPLES, HATHA YOGA EXERCISES AND TRAINING SESSIONS WERE HELD FOR 4 WEEKS (3 TIME/WEEKS; 60-70 MIN EACH) BY A SPECIALIST. DATA WERE ANALYZED USING SPSS VERSION 20. RESULTS: 52 WOMEN WITH A MEAN AGE OF 33.5 +/- 6.5 WERE INCLUDED FOR ANALYSIS. DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND STRESS DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN WOMEN AFTER 12 SESSIONS OF REGULAR HATHA YOGA PRACTICE (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: YOGA HAS AN EFFECTIVE ROLE IN REDUCING STRESS, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION. THUS, IT CAN BE USED AS COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE. 2018 14 935 33 EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA TRAINING PROGRAMS TO REDUCE DEPRESSION AND IMPROVE RESILIENCE OF SINGLE MOTHERS. SINGLE MOTHERS ARE VULNERABLE TO MENTAL HEALTH SUCH AS DEPRESSION, BUT EMOTIONAL SUPPORT IS INSUFFICIENT. YOGA IS KNOWN TO BE EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING NEGATIVE EMOTIONS AND PROMOTING RESILIENCE. THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED IN ORDER TO VERIFY THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA TRAINING PROGRAMS IN REDUCING DEPRESSION AND IMPROVING THE RESILIENCE OF SINGLE MOTHERS. PARTICIPANTS IN THE STUDY INCLUDED 20 SINGLE MOTHERS WHO BELONGED TO THE SINGLE MOTHERS ASSOCIATION, WHO WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO TRAINING (N=10) AND NONTRAINING (N=10) GROUPS. THE YOGA TRAINING PROGRAM FOR SINGLE MOTHERS CONSISTED OF ASANA YOGA, MEDITATION, AND MIND EXPRESSION THROUGH EXPERT MEETINGS; A TOTAL OF EIGHT SESSIONS WERE CONDUCTED ONCE A WEEK FOR 120 MIN. TESTING FOR DEPRESSION AND RESILIENCE WAS PERFORMED BEFORE AND AFTER THE PROGRAM IN ORDER TO VERIFY THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROGRAM. ACCORDING TO THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY, DEPRESSION IN SINGLE MOTHERS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE YOGA TRAINING PROGRAM WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED, AND RESILIENCE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED. THEREFORE, THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE YOGA TRAINING PROGRAM IN LOWERING THE DEPRESSION OF SINGLE MOTHERS AND IMPROVING RESILIENCE WAS CONFIRMED. IN THE FUTURE CONDUCT OF MANY STUDIES WILL BE REQUIRED IN ORDER TO HELP THE MENTAL HEALTH OF SINGLE MOTHERS. 2022 15 2084 45 THE EFFECT OF LAUGHTER YOGA ON GENERAL HEALTH AMONG NURSING STUDENTS. BACKGROUND: PROMOTION AND PROVISION OF INDIVIDUALS' HEALTH IS ONE OF THE BASES FOR DEVELOPMENT IN SOCIETIES. STUDENTS' MENTAL HEALTH IS VERY IMPORTANT IN EACH SOCIETY. STUDENTS OF MEDICAL SCIENCES UNIVERSITIES, ESPECIALLY NURSING STUDENTS, ARE UNDER VARIOUS STRESSES IN CLINICAL ENVIRONMENT, IN ADDITION TO THE STRESS THEY EXPERIENCE IN THEORETICAL EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT. WITH REGARD TO THE IMPORTANCE OF NURSING STUDENTS' GENERAL HEALTH AND CONSIDERING THE VARIOUS EXISTING STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE GENERAL HEALTH COMPONENTS, USE OF COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENTS IS MORE CONSIDERED BECAUSE OF THEIR BETTER PUBLIC ACCEPTANCE, LOW COSTS, AND FEWER COMPLICATIONS. ONE OF THE NEW STRATEGIES IN THIS REGARD IS LAUGHTER YOGA. THE PRESENT STUDY WAS CONDUCTED WITH AN AIM TO DEFINE THE EFFECT OF LAUGHTER YOGA ON GENERAL HEALTH AMONG NURSING STUDENTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIS IS A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL TWO-GROUP THREE-STEP STUDY CONDUCTED ON 38 MALE NURSING STUDENTS IN THE NURSING AND MIDWIFERY SCHOOL OF ISFAHAN UNIVERSITY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES IN 2012. IN THE STUDY GROUP, EIGHT 1 H SESSIONS OF LAUGHTER YOGA WERE HELD (TWO SESSIONS A WEEK), AND IN THE CONTROL GROUP, NO INTERVENTION WAS CONDUCTED. THE DATA OF THE PRESENT STUDY WERE COLLECTED BY GOLDBERG AND HILLER'S GENERAL HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE AND ANALYZED BY SPSS VERSION 12. RESULTS: THE FINDINGS SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN THE MEAN SCORES OF GENERAL HEALTH BEFORE AND AFTER LAUGHTER YOGA INTERVENTION IN THE TWO GROUPS OF STUDY AND CONTROL. CONCLUSIONS: THE FINDINGS SHOWED THAT LAUGHTER YOGA HAD A POSITIVE EFFECT ON STUDENTS' GENERAL HEALTH AND IMPROVED THE SIGNS OF PHYSICAL AND SLEEP DISORDERS, LOWERED ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION, AND PROMOTED THEIR SOCIAL FUNCTION. THEREFORE, LAUGHTER YOGA CAN BE USED AS ONE OF THE EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES ON STUDENTS' GENERAL HEALTH. 2014 16 748 32 EFFECT OF SAHAJA YOGA MEDITATION ON QUALITY OF LIFE, ANXIETY, AND BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL. OBJECTIVE: THE PRESENT STUDY INVESTIGATES THE EFFECT OF SAHAJA YOGA MEDITATION ON QUALITY OF LIFE, ANXIETY, AND BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL. DESIGN: THE PROSPECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL COHORT STUDY ENROLLED TWO STUDY GROUPS: THOSE RECEIVING TREATMENT FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SAHAJA YOGA RESEARCH AND HEALTH CENTER (MEDITATION GROUP) AND THOSE RECEIVING TREATMENT FROM THE MAHATMA GANDHI MISSION HOSPITAL (CONTROL GROUP). RESEARCHERS MEASURED QUALITY OF LIFE, ANXIETY, AND BLOOD PRESSURE BEFORE AND AFTER TREATMENT. RESULTS: SIXTY-SEVEN (67) PARTICIPANTS IN THE MEDITATION GROUP AND 62 PARTICIPANTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP COMPLETED THE STUDY. THE TWO GROUPS WERE COMPARABLE IN DEMOGRAPHIC AND CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS. AT BASELINE, THE MEDITATION GROUP HAD HIGHER QUALITY OF LIFE (P<0.001) THAN CONTROLS BUT SIMILAR ANXIETY LEVEL (P=0.74) TO CONTROLS. WITHIN-GROUP PRE- VERSUS POST-TREATMENT COMPARISONS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN QUALITY OF LIFE, ANXIETY, AND BLOOD PRESSURE IN THE MEDITATION GROUP (P<0.001), WHILE IN CONTROLS, QUALITY OF LIFE DETERIORATED AND THERE WAS NO IMPROVEMENT IN BLOOD PRESSURE. THE IMPROVEMENT IN QUALITY OF LIFE, ANXIETY REDUCTION, AND BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL WAS GREATER IN THE MEDITATION GROUP. THE BENEFICIAL EFFECT OF MEDITATION REMAINED SIGNIFICANT AFTER ADJUSTING FOR CONFOUNDERS. CONCLUSIONS: MEDITATION TREATMENT WAS ASSOCIATED WITH SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN QUALITY OF LIFE, ANXIETY REDUCTION, AND BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL. 2012 17 657 31 EFFECT OF 'EXERCISE WITHOUT MOVEMENT' YOGA METHOD ON MINDFULNESS, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION. OBJECTIVE: TO ANALYZE THE EFFECT OF THE 'EXERCISE WITHOUT MOVEMENT' (E.W.M) YOGA METHOD ON MINDFULNESS AND ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS. METHODS: A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY EXAMINED THE EFFECT OF ONE MONTH E.W.M. INTERVENTION AMONG 38 PARTICIPANTS WHO WERE ENROLLED VOLUNTARILY TO BOTH GROUPS, STUDY (N = 16) AND CONTROL (N = 22). FIVE PARTICIPANTS DROPPED OUT DURING THE STUDY. THE STATE MINDFULNESS SCALE (SMS) WAS USED TO MEASURE MINDFULNESS. THE ANXIETY INVENTORY BECK (BAI) AND THE BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY (BDI-II) WERE USED TO MEASURE THE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS, RESPECTIVELY, BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION. RESULTS: STUDY GROUP SHOWED BOTH A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN MINDFULNESS AND DECREASE IN ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS, COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: THE E.W.M. HAS BEEN USEFUL IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MINDFULNESS AND IN THE TREATMENT OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS AND MAY REPRESENT A NEW METHOD IN THE MINDFULNESS-BASED THERAPEUTIC APPLICATION. 2016 18 760 35 EFFECT OF SUDARSANKRIYA YOGA PRACTICES ON P300 AMPLITUDE AND LATENCY. THE COGNITIVE ABILITY WHICH WAS PERCEIVED AS A CONSTANT TRAIT, IS NOW UNDERSTOOD TO BE UPGRADED BY ADAPTIVE AND EXTENDED TRAINING. YOGA PRACTICES ARE KNOWN TO SHARPEN THE INTELLECT AND ENHANCE CONCENTRATION. IN THE INITIAL PERIOD OF PRACTICING YOGA AS AN ALTERNATIVE/SUPPORTING TOOL TO MEDICAL LINE OF TREATMENT, IT IS ESSENTIAL TO INVESTIGATE EFFECT OF YOGA ON COGNITIVE ABILITY USING OBJECTIVE METHOD, IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH EVIDENCES. HENCE, AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXPLORE THE EFFECT OF REGULAR PRACTICE OF SUDARSANKRIYA YOGA ON AUDITORY EVENT RELATED POTENTIAL (P300) BY RECORDING AND COMPARING PEAK LATENCY AND AMPLITUDE. THE PARTICIPANTS WERE DIVIDED INTO THREE GROUPS WITH GROUP I AND GROUP II PARTICIPANTS PRACTICING SUDARSANKRIYA YOGA FOR MORE THAN 36 MONTHS AND LESS THAN 36 MONTHS RESPECTIVELY. GROUP III WERE NON-PRACTITIONERS WITH NO PRIOR PRACTICE OF ANY FORM OF YOGA. TWENTY PARTICIPANTS IN EACH GROUP WITH A TOTAL OF 60 PARTICIPANTS BETWEEN 40 TO 65 YEARS OF AGE WERE RECRUITED FOR THE STUDY. RESULTS REVEALED A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE FOR MEAN LATENCY AND AMPLITUDE BETWEEN THREE GROUPS. FINDINGS OF THE CURRENT STUDY SUGGEST THAT SUDARSANKRIYA YOGA PRACTICES SLOWS DOWN THE PROCESS OF AGING EFFECT OR MAINTAINS ON COGNITIVE ABILITY IN ADULTS. 2021 19 1701 42 PARTICIPATION IN A YOGA STUDY DECREASES STRESS AND DEPRESSION SCORES FOR INCARCERATED WOMEN. INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS EXHIBIT A HIGH INCIDENCE OF STRESS-RELATED DISORDERS, INCLUDING ADDICTION AND POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD), AS WELL AS THE ADDED STRESS OF CAPTIVITY. ACCESS TO STRESS-REDUCTION TOOLS IS LIMITED FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS. ONE POSSIBLE APPROACH MAY BE REGULAR STRUCTURED YOGA CLASSES. USING TWO APPROACHES, WE TESTED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A BRIEF, INTENSIVE YOGA INTERVENTION IN A POPULATION OF INCARCERATED WOMEN IN A COUNTY JAIL. THE FIRST APPROACH WAS AN EXAMINATION OF ARCHIVAL DATA COLLECTED AS PART OF A PROGRAM ANALYSIS. INDIVIDUALS SHOWED CONSIDERABLE REDUCTION IN SELF-REPORTED STRESS FOLLOWING A SINGLE YOGA SESSION. THE SECOND APPROACH WAS AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY USING A WEEK-LONG YOGA INTERVENTION. THIRTY-FOUR PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSIGNED TO EITHER THE YOGA OR CONTROL GROUP FOR THE FIRST WEEK. IN THE SECOND WEEK, THE CONDITIONS WERE REVERSED. PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSESSED WEEKLY, BEFORE AND AFTER INTERVENTION. BASELINE SCORES REVEALED HIGH RATES OF DEPRESSION, STRESS, AND EXPOSURE TO TRAUMATIC LIFE EVENTS COMPARED TO NORMATIVE DATA. STRESS AND DEPRESSION WERE ASSESSED USING THE PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE AND BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY, RESPECTIVELY. COMPARED TO CONTROLS, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED LESS DEPRESSION AFTER A WEEK OF DAILY YOGA SESSIONS. PERCEIVED STRESS DECLINED UNDER BOTH CONTROL AND YOGA CONDITIONS. DUE TO THE TRANSIENT NATURE OF THE JAIL INSTITUTION, IT IS IMPORTANT TO EXAMINE INTERVENTIONS THAT CAN BE PROVIDED ON A SHORT-TERM BASIS. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE LIMITATIONS IN THIS STUDY, THE RESULTS SUPPORT THE CONCLUSION THAT THE BRIEF YOGA INTERVENTION HAD A POSITIVE EFFECT ON PARTICIPANTS' WELL-BEING. 2021 20 248 37 A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR YOUNG ADULTS WITH ELEVATED SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION. CONTEXT: YOGA TEACHERS AND STUDENTS OFTEN REPORT THAT YOGA HAS AN UPLIFTING EFFECT ON THEIR MOODS, BUT SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON YOGA AND DEPRESSION IS LIMITED. OBJECTIVE: TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF A SHORT-TERM IYENGAR YOGA COURSE ON MOOD IN MILDLY DEPRESSED YOUNG ADULTS. DESIGN: YOUNG ADULTS PRE-SCREENED FOR MILD LEVELS OF DEPRESSION WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A YOGA COURSE OR WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUP. SETTING: COLLEGE CAMPUS RECREATION CENTER. PARTICIPANTS: TWENTY-EIGHT VOLUNTEERS AGES 18 TO 29. AT INTAKE, ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE EXPERIENCING MILD LEVELS OF DEPRESSION, BUT HAD RECEIVED NO CURRENT PSYCHIATRIC DIAGNOSES OR TREATMENTS. NONE HAD SIGNIFICANT YOGA EXPERIENCE. INTERVENTION: SUBJECTS IN THE YOGA GROUP ATTENDED TWO 1-HOUR IYENGAR YOGA CLASSES EACH WEEK FOR 5 CONSECUTIVE WEEKS. THE CLASSES EMPHASIZED YOGA POSTURES THOUGHT TO ALLEVIATE DEPRESSION, PARTICULARLY BACK BENDS, STANDING POSES, AND INVERSIONS. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY, STATE-TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY, PROFILE OF MOOD STATES, MORNING CORTISOL LEVELS. RESULTS: SUBJECTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE YOGA COURSE DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN SELF-REPORTED SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION AND TRAIT ANXIETY. THESE EFFECTS EMERGED BY THE MIDDLE OF THE YOGA COURSE AND WERE MAINTAINED BY THE END. CHANGES ALSO WERE OBSERVED IN ACUTE MOOD, WITH SUBJECTS REPORTING DECREASED LEVELS OF NEGATIVE MOOD AND FATIGUE FOLLOWING YOGA CLASSES. FINALLY, THERE WAS A TREND FOR HIGHER MORNING CORTISOL LEVELS IN THE YOGA GROUP BY THE END OF THE YOGA COURSE, COMPARED TO CONTROLS. THESE FINDINGS PROVIDE SUGGESTIVE EVIDENCE OF THE UTILITY OF YOGA ASANAS IN IMPROVING MOOD AND SUPPORT THE NEED FOR FUTURE STUDIES WITH LARGER SAMPLES AND MORE COMPLEX STUDY DESIGNS TO MORE FULLY EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MOOD DISTURBANCES. 2004