1 977 153 EFFECTS OF ANTENATAL YOGA ON MATERNAL ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: ANTENATAL DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY ARE ASSOCIATED WITH ADVERSE OBSTETRIC AND MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES, YET PRACTICABLE NONPHARMACOLOGICAL THERAPIES, PARTICULARLY FOR THE LATTER, ARE LACKING. YOGA INCORPORATES RELAXATION AND BREATHING TECHNIQUES WITH POSTURES THAT CAN BE CUSTOMIZED FOR PREGNANT WOMEN. THIS STUDY TESTED THE EFFICACY OF YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION FOR REDUCING MATERNAL ANXIETY DURING PREGNANCY. METHODS: FIFTY-NINE PRIMIPAROUS, LOW-RISK PREGNANT WOMEN COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES ASSESSING STATE (STATE TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY; STAI-STATE), TRAIT (STAI-TRAIT), AND PREGNANCY-SPECIFIC ANXIETY (WIJMA DELIVERY EXPECTANCY QUESTIONNAIRE; WDEQ) AND DEPRESSION (EDINBURGH POSTNATAL DEPRESSION SCALE; EPDS) BEFORE RANDOMIZATION (BASELINE) TO EITHER AN 8-WEEK COURSE OF ANTENATAL YOGA OR TREATMENT-AS-USUAL (TAU); BOTH GROUPS REPEATED THE QUESTIONNAIRES AT FOLLOW-UP. THE YOGA GROUP ALSO COMPLETED PRE- AND POSTSESSION STATE ANXIETY AND STRESS HORMONE ASSESSMENTS AT BOTH THE FIRST AND LAST SESSION OF THE 8-WEEK COURSE. RESULTS: A SINGLE SESSION OF YOGA REDUCED BOTH SUBJECTIVE AND PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES OF STATE ANXIETY (STAI-S AND CORTISOL); AND THIS CLASS-INDUCED REDUCTION IN ANXIETY REMAINED AT THE FINAL SESSION OF THE INTERVENTION. MULTIPLE LINEAR REGRESSION ANALYSES IDENTIFIED ALLOCATION TO YOGA AS PREDICTIVE OF GREATER REDUCTION IN WDEQ SCORES (B = -9.59; BCA 95% CI = -18.25 TO -0.43; P = .014; D = -0.57), WHILE ALLOCATION TO TAU WAS PREDICTIVE OF SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED ELEVATION IN EPDS SCORES (B = -3.06; BCA 95% CI = -5.9 TO -0.17; P = .042; D = -0.5). NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WERE OBSERVED IN STATE OR TRAIT ANXIETY SCORES BETWEEN BASELINE AND FOLLOW-UP. CONCLUSION: ANTENATAL YOGA SEEMS TO BE USEFUL FOR REDUCING WOMEN'S ANXIETIES TOWARD CHILDBIRTH AND PREVENTING INCREASES IN DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMATOLOGY. 2014 2 1627 44 MINDFULNESS YOGA DURING PREGNANCY FOR PSYCHIATRICALLY AT-RISK WOMEN: PRELIMINARY RESULTS FROM A PILOT FEASIBILITY STUDY. PRENATAL PSYCHOPATHOLOGY MAY HAVE AN ADVERSE IMPACT ON MOTHER AND BABY, BUT FEW WOMEN RECEIVE TREATMENT. WE OFFERED A 10-WEEK MINDFULNESS YOGA (M-YOGA) INTERVENTION TO PSYCHIATRICALLY HIGH-RISK PREGNANT WOMEN AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT. PARTICIPANTS (N = 18) WERE PRIMIPAROUS, 12-26 WEEKS PREGNANT, AND HAD ELEVATED SCORES (>9) ON THE EDINBURGH POSTNATAL DEPRESSION SCREEN AT BASELINE. IN ADDITION TO A BASELINE DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENT, WOMEN COMPLETED SELF-RATINGS ON DEPRESSION, MINDFULNESS, AND MATERNAL-FETAL ATTACHMENT BEFORE AND AFTER M-YOGA. FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT M-YOGA WAS FEASIBLE, ACCEPTED AND EFFECTIVE. SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION WERE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED (P = 0.025), WHILE MINDFULNESS (P = 0.007) AND MATERNAL-FETAL ATTACHMENT (P = 0.000) SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED. OVERALL, THIS PILOT STUDY IS THE FIRST TO DEMONSTRATE THAT M-YOGA MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE TREATMENT ALTERNATIVE OR AUGMENTATION TO PHARMACOTHERAPY FOR PREGNANT WOMEN AT HIGH RISK FOR PSYCHOPATHOLOGY. 2012 3 1046 43 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION FOR HIGH RISK MOTHERS ON HOSPITAL BEDREST. BACKGROUND: AND PURPOSE: IN RECENT YEARS, YOGA PRACTITIONERS HAVE JOINED FORCES WITH MEDICAL PROGRAMS TO APPROACH PATIENTS' WELL-BEING HOLISTICALLY. THIS STUDY IS A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL TO ASSESS THE EFFECTS OF A SPECIALIZED ADAPTED YOGA PROGRAM ON ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION FOR HIGH-RISK EXPECTANT MOTHERS ON BEDREST IN A HOSPITAL SETTING. MATERIALS AND METHODS: SEVENTY-NINE PREGNANT SUBJECTS ON PHYSICIAN ORDERED HOSPITALIZED BEDREST WERE RANDOMIZED INTO TWO GROUPS: RECEIVING BIWEEKLY YOGA SESSIONS (INTERVENTION GROUP) OR RECEIVING NO YOGA (CONTROL GROUP). DATA COLLECTION TOOL WAS THE HOSPITAL ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SCALE (HADS) TO ASSESS OUTCOMES AFTER DELIVERY. RESULTS: YOGA, EVEN AS LITTLE AS THREE SESSIONS, SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPACT IN REDUCING ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION HIGH-RISK PREGNANT WOMEN ON HOSPITALIZED BEDREST. PERCEIVED ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION OVERALL SCORES WERE LOWER IN THE INTERVENTION GROUP THAN IN THE CONTROL GROUP (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: RESULTS DEMONSTRATED THAT YOGA IS AN EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION TO DECREASE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION IN HIGH-RISK ANTEPARTUM WOMEN ON HOSPITALIZED BEDREST. 2020 4 2653 55 YOGA IMPROVES OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE, DEPRESSION, AND DAILY ACTIVITIES FOR PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC PAIN. BACKGROUND: CHRONIC PAIN IS A COMPLEX ACCUMULATION OF PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS, THUS INTERVENTIONS THAT ADDRESS PAIN AND PROMOTE OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE ARE NEEDED. A HOLISTIC INTERVENTION, WITH MIND AND BODY COMPONENTS, IS LIKELY NECESSARY TO BEST TREAT THE COMPLEXITIES OF CHRONIC PAIN. THUS, WE DEVELOPED AND TESTED A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC PAIN. OBJECTIVES: IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL (RCT), PARTICIPANTS WITH CHRONIC PAIN WERE RANDOMIZED TO A YOGA INTERVENTION OR USUAL CARE GROUP. BETWEEN AND WITHIN GROUP DIFFERENCES FOR PRE-AND POST-OUTCOME MEASURE SCORES WERE ASSESSED FOR: OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE, COMPLETION OF ACTIVITIES, AND DEPRESSION. METHODS: PILOT RCT WITH PARTICIPANT ALLOCATION TO 8 WEEKS OF YOGA OR USUAL CARE. BOTH GROUPS RECEIVED ONGOING MONTHLY SELF-MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMING. DATA WERE COLLECTED BEFORE AND AFTER THE 8-WEEK INTERVENTION. PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO YOGA OR USUAL CARE AFTER BASELINE ASSESSMENTS. DEMOGRAPHICS WERE COLLECTED AND MEASURES INCLUDED: CANADIAN OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE MEASURE (COPM) TO ASSESS OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE; THE 15-ITEM FRENCHAY ACTIVITIES INDEX (FAI)(ACTIVITIES); AND THE 9-ITEM PATIENT HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE (PHQ-9) FOR DEPRESSION. INDEPENDENT T-TESTS WERE USED TO ASSESS DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GROUPS. PAIRED T-TESTS WERE USED TO ASSESS DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PRE- AND POST 8-WEEK INTERVENTION FOR BOTH THE YOGA AND THE USUAL CARE GROUPS. PERCENT CHANGE SCORES AND EFFECT SIZES WERE CALCULATED. RESULTS: 83 PEOPLE WERE RECRUITED FOR THE STUDY AND COMPLETED BASELINE ASSESSMENTS; 44 INDIVIDUALS WERE RANDOMIZED TO YOGA AND 39 TO THE CONTROL GROUP. THE AVERAGE AGE OF ALL PARTICIPANTS WAS 51.4+/-10.5 YEARS, 68% WERE FEMALE; AND 60% HAD AT LEAST SOME COLLEGE EDUCATION. THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN DEMOGRAPHICS OR OUTCOME MEASURES BETWEEN GROUPS AT BASELINE OR 8 WEEKS; HOWEVER, THE STUDY WAS NOT POWERED TO SEE SUCH DIFFERENCES. INDIVIDUALS RANDOMIZED TO THE CONTROL GROUP DID NOT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE IN ANY OUTCOME MEASURE OVER THE 8 WEEKS. THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN COPM PERFORMANCE AND COPM SATISFACTION SCORES FOR INDIVIDUALS RANDOMIZED TO THE YOGA GROUP; BOTH SCORES SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED. COPM PERFORMANCE IMPROVED BY 27% WITH A MODERATE TO LARGE EFFECT SIZE (3.66+/-1.85 VS 4.66+/-1.93, P < 0.001, D = 0.76). COPM SATISFACTION SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED BY 78% (2.14+/-2.31 VS. 3.80+/-2.50, P < 0.001) AND HAD A LARGE EFFECTS SIZE (D = 1.02). FAI SCORES IMPROVED, INDICATING INCREASED ACTIVITY OR ENGAGEMENT IN DAILY OCCUPATION DURING THE 8-WEEK INTERVENTION. SCORES INCREASED BY 5% (38.13+/-8.48 VS. 39.90+/-8.57, P = 0.024) WITH A SMALL EFFECT SIZE (D = 0.37). DEPRESSION SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED FROM 13.21+/-5.60 TO 11.41+/-5.82, P = 0.041, WITH A SMALL EFFECT SIZE. CONCLUSION: DATA FROM THIS PILOT RCT INDICATE YOGA MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION WITH PEOPLE IN CHRONIC PAIN TO IMPROVE OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE, INCREASE ENGAGEMENT IN ACTIVITIES, AND DECREASE DEPRESSION. OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY PRACTITIONERS MAY CONSIDER ADDING YOGA AS A TREATMENT INTERVENTION TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE WITH PAIN. 2019 5 277 38 ADDITIONAL PRACTICE OF YOGA BREATHING WITH INTERMITTENT BREATH HOLDING ENHANCES PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: THE PRACTICE OF YOGA IS ASSOCIATED WITH ENHANCED PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING. THE CURRENT STUDY ASSESSED THE CORRELATION BETWEEN THE DURATION OF YOGA PRACTICE WITH STATE MINDFULNESS, MIND-WANDERING AND STATE ANXIETY. ALSO, WE EXAMINED IF AN ADDITIONAL 20 MIN OF YOGA BREATHING WITH INTERMITTENT BREATH HOLDING (EXPERIMENTAL GROUP) FOR 8 WEEKS WOULD AFFECT THESE PSYCHOLOGICAL VARIABLES MORE THAN REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE (CONTROL GROUP) ALONE. METHODS: ONE HUNDRED SIXTEEN SUBJECTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EXPERIMENTAL (N = 60) AND CONTROL (N = 56) GROUPS. STATE MINDFULNESS ATTENTION AWARENESS SCALE (SMAAS), MIND-WANDERING QUESTIONNAIRE (MWQ) AND STATE ANXIETY INVENTORY WERE ADMINISTERED AT BASELINE AND AT THE END OF 8 WEEKS. RESULTS: BASELINE ASSESSMENT REVEALED A POSITIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN DURATION OF YOGA PRACTICE WITH SMAAS SCORES AND NEGATIVE CORRELATION WITH MWQ AND STATE ANXIETY SCORES. AT THE END OF 8 WEEKS, BOTH GROUPS DEMONSTRATED ENHANCED PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS, BUT THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP RECEIVING ADDITIONAL YOGA BREATHING PERFORMED BETTER THAN THE GROUP PRACTICING YOGA ALONE. CONCLUSION: AN ADDITIONAL PRACTICE OF YOGA BREATHING WITH INTERMITTENT BREATH HOLDING WAS FOUND TO ENHANCE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS IN YOUNG ADULT YOGA PRACTITIONERS. 2018 6 2112 35 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 7 2444 31 YOGA AND SOCIAL SUPPORT REDUCE PRENATAL DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND CORTISOL. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO COMPARE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA (PHYSICAL ACTIVITY) VERSUS SOCIAL SUPPORT (VERBAL ACTIVITY) ON PRENATAL AND POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION. NINETY-TWO PRENATALLY DEPRESSED WOMEN WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A YOGA OR A SOCIAL SUPPORT CONTROL GROUP AT 22 WEEKS GESTATION. THE YOGA GROUP PARTICIPATED IN A 20-MIN GROUP SESSION (ONLY PHYSICAL POSES) ONCE PER WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS. THE SOCIAL SUPPORT GROUP (A LEADERLESS DISCUSSION GROUP) MET ON THE SAME SCHEDULE. AT THE END OF THE FIRST AND LAST SESSIONS THE YOGA GROUP REPORTED LESS DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, ANGER, BACK AND LEG PAIN AS COMPARED TO THE SOCIAL SUPPORT GROUP. AT THE END OF THE LAST SESSION THE YOGA GROUP AND THE SUPPORT GROUP DID NOT DIFFER. THEY BOTH HAD LOWER DEPRESSION (CES-D), ANXIETY (STAI), AND ANGER (STAXI) SCORES AND IMPROVED RELATIONSHIP SCORES. IN ADDITION, CORTISOL LEVELS DECREASED FOR BOTH GROUPS FOLLOWING EACH SESSION. ESTRIOL AND PROGESTERONE LEVELS DECREASED AFTER THE LAST SESSION. AT THE POSTPARTUM FOLLOW-UP ASSESSMENT DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY LEVELS WERE LOWER FOR BOTH GROUPS. 2013 8 657 32 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 9 1135 38 EFFICACY OF YOGA ON PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISCOMFORTS AND DELIVERY OUTCOMES IN CHINESE PRIMIPARAS. BACKGROUD AND PURPOSE: ALMOST EVERY WOMAN EXPERIENCES DISCOMFORTS DURING PREGNANCY. THIS STUDY AIMED TO EVALUATE THE EFFICACY OF YOGA ON PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISCOMFORTS AND DELIVERY OUTCOMES IN CHINESE PRIMIPARAS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL WAS CONDUCTED. PARTICIPANTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP (N = 32) RECEIVED ROUTINE PRENATAL CARE, WHEREAS PARTICIPANTS IN THE INTERVENTION GROUP (N = 32) RECEIVED ROUTINE PRENATAL CARE AND YOGA EXERCISE THREE TIMES A WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS. OUTCOMES EVALUATED INCLUDED PHYSIOLOGICAL DISCOMFORTS, PRENATAL DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, CHILDBIRTH SELF-EFFICACY AND DELIVERY OUTCOMES. INTENTION-TO-TREAT ANALYSIS WAS CONDUCTED. RESULTS: YOGA DECREASED THE SYMPTOMS OF PHYSIOLOGICAL DISCOMFORTS DURING PREGNANCY (F = 6.966, P = 0.010), PROMOTED CHILDBIRTH SELF-EFFICACY (F = 11.900, P = 0.001), INCREASED THE RATE OF VAGINAL DELIVERY (CHI(2) = 4.267, P = 0.039), AND SHORTENED THE LENGTH OF THE FIRST (T = -2.612, P = 0.012), SECOND (Z = -3.313, P = 0.001) AND THIRD STAGES OF LABOR (Z = -3.137, P = 0.002). CONCLUSION: YOGA OFFERS BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON PHYSIOLOGICAL DISCOMFORTS, CHILDBIRTH SELF-EFFICACY AND DELIVERY OUTCOMES IN CHINESE PRIMIPARAS. 2021 10 735 32 EFFECT OF POSTPARTUM YOGA ON BREASTFEEDING SELF-EFFICACY AND MATERNAL ATTACHMENT IN PRIMIPAROUS MOTHERS. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA PRACTICE ON THE BREASTFEEDING SELF-EFFICACY AND MATERNAL ATTACHMENT OF PRIMIPAROUS MOTHERS IN THE POSTPARTUM PERIOD. METHODS: THIS STUDY WAS PERFORMED IN A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL MODEL WITH PRETEST AND POSTTEST CONTROL GROUPS. THE DOMAIN OF THE STUDY WAS FORMED WITH WOMEN WITH 20-40-DAY-OLD BABIES ENROLLED IN TWO FAMILY HEALTH CENTERS. ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FOUR WOMEN PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY. THE INDIVIDUAL IDENTIFICATION FORM, BREASTFEEDING SELF-EFFICACY SCALE, AND MATERNAL ATTACHMENT SCALE WERE COMPLETED BY THE EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL GROUPS. THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP ENGAGED IN 60 MINUTES OF POSTPARTUM YOGA PRACTICE 2 DAYS A WEEK FOR 8 WEEKS IN THE COMPANY OF THE RESEARCHER. RESULTS: AFTER YOGA PRACTICE, THERE WAS A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE BREASTFEEDING SELF-EFFICACY AND IMPROVEMENT IN THE MATERNAL ATTACHMENT OF THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP (P < 0.05). THE CORRESPONDING INCREASE AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE MOTHERS IN THE CONTROL GROUP WERE LESS THAN THOSE OF THE MOTHERS IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: THIS STUDY FINDS THAT IT IS BENEFICIAL FOR BOTH THE MOTHER'S AND THE BABY'S PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS TO TEACH MOTHERS TO PRACTICE YOGA, WHICH POSITIVELY AFFECTS BREASTFEEDING AND MATERNAL ATTACHMENT IN THE POSTPARTUM PERIOD. 2022 11 1446 52 INDIVIDUALIZED YOGA FOR REDUCING DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, AND IMPROVING WELL-BEING: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY ARE LEADING CAUSES OF DISABILITY WORLDWIDE. CURRENT TREATMENTS ARE PRIMARILY PHARMACEUTICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL. QUESTIONS REMAIN ABOUT EFFECTIVENESS AND SUITABILITY FOR DIFFERENT PEOPLE. PREVIOUS RESEARCH SUGGESTS POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR REDUCING DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY IS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF AN INDIVIDUALIZED YOGA INTERVENTION. METHODS: A SAMPLE OF 101 PEOPLE WITH SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION AND/OR ANXIETY PARTICIPATED IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL COMPARING A 6-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION WITH WAITLIST CONTROL. YOGA WAS ADDITIONAL TO USUAL TREATMENT. THE CONTROL GROUP WAS OFFERED THE YOGA FOLLOWING THE WAITLIST PERIOD. MEASURES INCLUDED DEPRESSION ANXIETY STRESS SCALE (DASS-21), KESSLER PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS SCALE (K10), SHORT-FORM HEALTH SURVEY (SF12), SCALE OF POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE (SPANE), FLOURISHING SCALE (FS), AND CONNOR-DAVIDSON RESILIENCE SCALE (CD-RISC2). RESULTS: THERE WERE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOGA AND CONTROL GROUPS ON REDUCTION OF DEPRESSION SCORES (-4.30; 95% CI: -7.70, -0.01; P = .01; ES -.44). DIFFERENCES IN REDUCED ANXIETY SCORES WERE NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (-1.91; 95% CI: -4.58, 0.76; P = .16). STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN FAVOR OF YOGA WERE ALSO FOUND ON TOTAL DASS (P = .03), K10, SF12 MENTAL HEALTH, SPANE, FS, AND RESILIENCE SCORES (P < .01 FOR EACH). DIFFERENCES IN STRESS AND SF12 PHYSICAL HEALTH SCORES WERE NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. BENEFITS WERE MAINTAINED AT 6-WEEK FOLLOW-UP. CONCLUSION: YOGA PLUS REGULAR CARE WAS EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION COMPARED WITH REGULAR CARE ALONE. FURTHER INVESTIGATION IS WARRANTED REGARDING POTENTIAL BENEFITS IN ANXIETY. INDIVIDUALIZED YOGA MAY BE PARTICULARLY BENEFICIAL IN MENTAL HEALTH CARE IN THE BROADER COMMUNITY. 2016 12 97 26 A NONRANDOMIZED COMPARISON STUDY OF SELF-HYPNOSIS, YOGA, AND COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL THERAPY TO REDUCE EMOTIONAL DISTRESS IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS. THE AUTHORS ASKED BREAST CANCER (BC) PATIENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN 1 OF 3 MIND-BODY INTERVENTIONS (COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL THERAPY (CBT), YOGA, OR SELF-HYPNOSIS) TO EXPLORE THEIR FEASIBILITY, EASE OF COMPLIANCE, AND IMPACT ON THE PARTICIPANTS' DISTRESS, QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL), SLEEP, AND MENTAL ADJUSTMENT. NINETY-NINE PATIENTS COMPLETED AN INTERVENTION (CBT: N = 10; YOGA: N = 21; AND SELF-HYPNOSIS: N = 68). RESULTS SHOWED HIGH FEASIBILITY AND HIGH COMPLIANCE. AFTER THE INTERVENTIONS, THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT EFFECT IN THE CBT GROUP BUT SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE EFFECTS ON DISTRESS IN THE YOGA AND SELF-HYPNOSIS GROUPS, AND, ALSO, ON QOL, SLEEP, AND MENTAL ADJUSTMENT IN THE SELF-HYPNOSIS GROUP. IN CONCLUSION, MIND-BODY INTERVENTIONS CAN DECREASE DISTRESS IN BC PATIENTS, BUT RCTS ARE NEEDED TO CONFIRM THESE FINDINGS. 2017 13 1792 44 PRENATAL YOGA AND MENTAL HEALTH DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A RANDOMIZED-CONTROL TRIAL. STUDIES HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT NEW AND EXPECTANT MOTHERS EXPERIENCE INCREASED LEVELS OF STRESS AND ANXIETY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. THOUGH PRENATAL YOGA IS AN EFFECTIVE MODE OF IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH DURING PREGNANCY, NO RESEARCH HAS EVALUATED ITS EFFECT ON MENTAL HEALTH DURING TIMES OF EXTREME STRESS, SUCH AS A GLOBAL PANDEMIC. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE INFLUENCE OF A SINGLE SESSION AND A 10-WEEK PRENATAL YOGA INTERVENTION ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF PREGNANT WOMEN DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. WOMEN (N = 19; 28.52 +/- 3.74 YEARS; 20.94 +/- 4.69 WEEKS GESTATION; BMI 29.33 +/- 9.08) WERE RANDOMIZED INTO A YOGA OR A NON-YOGA CONTROL GROUP. THERE WERE NO DIFFERENCES IN DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS OR DEPRESSION/ANXIETY SCORES BETWEEN GROUPS AT BASELINE. BASELINE LEVELS OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION WERE HIGH, WITH AN AVERAGE DEPRESSION SCORE OF 8.10 +/- 4.85 (SCORES > 8 REPRESENT POSSIBLE DEPRESSION) AND AN AVERAGE ANXIETY SCORE OF 39.26 +/- 12.99 (SCORES >/= 39 REPRESENT A CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT ANXIETY). AFTER JUST ONE SESSION OF YOGA, WOMEN REPORTED FEELING LESS DEPRESSED (P = 0.028), TENSE (P < 0.001), AND FATIGUED (P = 0.004). AFTER 10 WEEKS, THE YOGA GROUP HAD LOWER ANXIETY (P = 0.002), DEPRESSION (P = 0.032), AND TOTAL MOOD DISTURBANCE (P = 0.002) SCORES WHEN COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. YOGA APPEARS TO BENEFIT THE MENTAL HEALTH OF EXPECTANT MOTHERS, EVEN IN TIMES OF EXTREME STRESS. THE FINDINGS OF THIS STUDY PROVIDE CLINICIANS WITH VALUABLE INFORMATION REGARDING ALTERNATIVE EXERCISE OPTIONS FOR MENTAL HEALTH DURING PREGNANCY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. 2021 14 1361 38 IMMEDIATE STRESS REDUCTION EFFECTS OF YOGA DURING PREGNANCY: ONE GROUP PRE-POST TEST. BACKGROUND: EXCESSIVE STRESS DURING PREGNANCY MAY CAUSE MENTAL DISORDERS IN PREGNANT WOMEN AND INHIBIT FETAL GROWTH. YOGA MAY ALLEVIATE STRESS DURING PREGNANCY. AIM: TO VERIFY THE IMMEDIATE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON STRESS RESPONSE DURING PREGNANCY. METHODS: ONE GROUP PRE-POST TEST WAS CONDUCTED AT A HOSPITAL IN JAPAN. WE RECRUITED 60 HEALTHY PRIMIPARAS WITHOUT COMPLICATIONS AND ASKED THEM TO ATTEND YOGA CLASSES TWICE A MONTH AND TO PRACTICE YOGA AT THEIR HOMES USING DVD 3 TIMES A WEEK FROM 20 GESTATIONAL WEEKS UNTIL CHILDBIRTH. SALIVARY CORTISOL AND ALPHA-AMYLASE CONCENTRATION WERE MEASURED BEFORE AND AFTER YOGA CLASSES AT TIME 1 (27-32 GESTATIONAL WEEKS) AND TIME 2 (34-37 GESTATIONAL WEEKS). SUBJECTIVE MOOD WAS ASSESSED USING THE PROFILE OF MOOD STATES. SALIVA VALUES AND MOOD SCORES BEFORE AND AFTER EACH YOGA CLASS WERE COMPARED USING PAIRED T-TEST AND WILCOXON RANK-SUM TEST, RESPECTIVELY. FINDINGS: WE ANALYZED 44 AND 35 WOMEN AT TIME 1 AND TIME 2, RESPECTIVELY. THE MEAN SALIVARY CORTISOL CONCENTRATION DECLINED SIGNIFICANTLY AFTER EACH YOGA CLASS [TIME 1: 0.36-0.26MUG/DL (P<0.001), TIME 2: 0.32-0.26MUG/DL (P=0.001)]. THE MEAN SALIVARY ALPHA-AMYLASE CONCENTRATION ALSO DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY FOLLOWING EACH CLASS [TIME 1: 72.2-50.8KU/L (P=0.001), TIME 2: 70.6-52.7KU/L (P=0.006)]. THE SCORES FOR NEGATIVE DIMENSIONS OF MOOD (TRAIT-ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, ANGER-HOSTILITY, FATIGUE, AND CONFUSION) DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY. THE SCORES OF VIGOR FOR A POSITIVE DIMENSION OF MOOD SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED. CONCLUSION: THIS STUDY INDICATED THE IMMEDIATE STRESS REDUCTION EFFECTS OF YOGA DURING PREGNANCY. 2016 15 2414 20 YOGA AND MASSAGE THERAPY REDUCE PRENATAL DEPRESSION AND PREMATURITY. EIGHTY-FOUR PRENATALLY DEPRESSED WOMEN WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO YOGA, MASSAGE THERAPY OR STANDARD PRENATAL CARE CONTROL GROUPS TO DETERMINE THE RELATIVE EFFECTS OF YOGA AND MASSAGE THERAPY ON PRENATAL DEPRESSION AND NEONATAL OUTCOMES. FOLLOWING 12 WEEKS OF TWICE WEEKLY YOGA OR MASSAGE THERAPY SESSIONS (20 MIN EACH) BOTH THERAPY GROUPS VERSUS THE CONTROL GROUP HAD A GREATER DECREASE ON DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND BACK AND LEG PAIN SCALES AND A GREATER INCREASE ON A RELATIONSHIP SCALE. IN ADDITION, THE YOGA AND MASSAGE THERAPY GROUPS DID NOT DIFFER ON NEONATAL OUTCOMES INCLUDING GESTATIONAL AGE AND BIRTHWEIGHT, AND THOSE GROUPS, IN TURN, HAD GREATER GESTATIONAL AGE AND BIRTHWEIGHT THAN THE CONTROL GROUP. 2012 16 1838 47 PSYCHOSOCIAL AND CARDIAC OUTCOMES OF YOGA FOR ICD PATIENTS: A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL CONTROL TRIAL. BACKGROUND: BECAUSE AS MANY AS 46% OF IMPLANTABLE CARDIOVERTER DEFIBRILLATOR (ICD) PATIENTS EXPERIENCE CLINICAL SYMPTOMS OF SHOCK ANXIETY, THIS RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY EVALUATED THE EFFICACY OF ADAPTED YOGA (VS USUAL CARE) IN REDUCING CLINICAL PSYCHOSOCIAL RISKS SHOWN TO IMPACT MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY IN ICD RECIPIENTS. METHODS: FORTY-SIX PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO A CONTROL GROUP OR AN 8-WEEK ADAPTED YOGA GROUP THAT FOLLOWED A STANDARDIZED PROTOCOL WITH WEEKLY CLASSES AND HOME PRACTICE. MEDICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL DATA WERE COLLECTED AT BASELINE AND FOLLOW-UP, THEN COMPARED AND ANALYZED. RESULTS: TOTAL SHOCK ANXIETY DECREASED FOR THE YOGA GROUP AND INCREASED FOR THE CONTROL GROUP, T(4.43, 36), P < 0.0001, WITH SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THESE CHANGES. SIMILARLY, CONSEQUENTIAL ANXIETY DECREASED FOR THE YOGA GROUP BUT INCREASED FOR THE CONTROL GROUP T(2.86,36) P = 0.007. COMPARED TO THE CONTROL, THE YOGA GROUP HAD GREATER OVERALL SELF-COMPASSION, T(-2.84,37), P = 0.007, AND GREATER MINDFULNESS, T(-2.10,37) P = 0.04, AT THE END OF THE STUDY. EXPLORATORY ANALYSES UTILIZING A LINEAR MODEL (R(2) = 0.98) OF OBSERVED DEVICE-TREATED VENTRICULAR (DTV) EVENTS REVEALED THAT THE EXPECTED NUMBER OF DTV EVENTS IN THE YOGA GROUP WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN IN THE CONTROL GROUP (P < 0.0001). COMPARED TO THE CONTROL, THE YOGA GROUP HAD A 32% LOWER RISK OF EXPERIENCING DEVICE-RELATED FIRINGS AT END OF FOLLOW-UP. CONCLUSIONS: OUR STUDY DEMONSTRATED PSYCHOSOCIAL BENEFITS FROM A PROGRAM OF ADAPTED YOGA (VS USUAL CARE) FOR ICD RECIPIENTS. THESE DATA SUPPORT CONTINUED RESEARCH TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE ROLE OF COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE TO ADDRESS ICD-SPECIFIC STRESS IN CARDIAC OUTCOMES. 2014 17 1364 40 IMPACT OF 10-MIN DAILY YOGA EXERCISES ON PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DISCOMFORT OF HOME-OFFICE WORKERS DURING COVID-19. OBJECTIVE: EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF 10 MIN/DAY OF YOGA FOR 1 MONTH ON MUSCULOSKELETAL DISCOMFORT AND MOOD DISTURBANCE OF HOME-OFFICE WORKERS. BACKGROUND: THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC FORCED MANY PEOPLE TO SWITCH TO TELEWORKING. THE ABRUPT CHANGE FROM AN OFFICE SETTING TO AN IMPROVISED HOME-OFFICE MAY NEGATIVELY AFFECT THE MUSCULOSKELETAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH OF WORKERS. BY PROVIDING MENTAL AND PHYSICAL EXERCISES, YOGA MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING ADVERSE EFFECTS. METHOD: FIFTY-FOUR PARTICIPANTS (42 WOMEN, 12 MEN) FOLLOWED A 1-MONTH YOGA PROGRAM, WHILE 40 PARTICIPANTS (26 WOMEN, 14 MEN) CONTINUED WITH THEIR COMMON WORK ROUTINE. THE CORNELL MUSCULOSKELETAL DISCOMFORT QUESTIONNAIRE WAS USED TO EVALUATE SEVERITY, INTERFERENCE WITH WORK AND FREQUENCY OF PAIN, AND TO OBTAIN A TOTAL DISCOMFORT SCORE FOR 25 BODY AREAS. MOOD DISTURBANCE WAS EVALUATED WITH THE PROFILE OF MOOD STATES QUESTIONNAIRE. BOTH GROUPS COMPLETED BOTH QUESTIONNAIRES, BEFORE AND AFTER THE EXPERIMENTATION PERIOD. RESULTS: AFTER 1 MONTH, FOR THE YOGA GROUP ONLY, SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS WERE OBSERVED IN THE DISCOMFORT OF EYES, HEAD, NECK, UPPER AND LOWER BACK, RIGHT WRIST, AND HIPS/BUTTOCKS, AS WELL AS REDUCTIONS IN DISCOMFORT SEVERITY, FREQUENCY AND INTERFERENCE FOR THE NECK, UPPER AND LOWER BACK. TOTAL MOOD DISTURBANCE WAS ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED FOR THE YOGA GROUP ONLY. NO FAVORABLE CHANGES OCCURRED FOR THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: THE YOGA INTERVENTION PROGRAM APPEARS TO REDUCE MUSCULOSKELETAL DISCOMFORT AND MOOD DISTURBANCE OF HOME-OFFICE WORKERS. APPLICATION: SEDENTARY WORKERS MAY BENEFIT FROM 10 MIN/DAY OF YOGA DURING THE WORKDAY TO ATTENUATE POTENTIAL PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL DISCOMFORT DURING THE CURRENT PANDEMIC AND BEYOND. 2021 18 841 32 EFFECT OF YOGA ON POSTTRAUMATIC GROWTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN FIRST-TIME MOTHERS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. AIM: THIS STUDY AIMS TO EXAMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON POSTTRAUMATIC GROWTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN POSTPARTUM MOTHERS. METHODS: THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED AS RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED. THERE WERE 160 PARTICIPANT MOTHERS, INCLUDING 80 FOR THE YOGA GROUP AND 80 FOR THE CONTROL GROUP. MOTHERS IN THE YOGA GROUP PARTICIPATED IN INDIVIDUAL YOGA PRACTICES AT THEIR HOMES EVERY WEEKDAY FOR 10 WEEKS. THE PERSONAL INFORMATION FORM, POSTTRAUMATIC GROWTH INVENTORY (PTGI), AND SHORT FORM-36 (SF-36) QUALITY OF LIFE SCALE WERE USED TO COLLECT DATA. RESULTS: THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT TOTAL AND SUBSCALE MEAN SCORES OF THE PTGI WERE HIGHER IN THE YOGA GROUP THAN THE CONTROL GROUP AFTER THE INTERVENTION. IN COMPARISON TO THE CONTROL GROUP, THE MEAN SCORES OF THE YOGA GROUP WERE HIGHER IN SUBSCALES AS PHYSICAL FUNCTIONING, ROLE-PHYSICAL, BODILY PAIN, GENERAL HEALTH, VITALITY, SOCIAL FUNCTIONING, MENTAL HEALTH OF THE SF-36, AFTER THE INTERVENTION. CONCLUSION: THE YOGA INCREASED PSYCHOLOGICAL GROWTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE POSTPARTUM PERIOD. HEALTH PROFESSIONALS COULD USE YOGA TO INCREASE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF MOTHERS AND TO ENSURE THEIR PSYCHOLOGICAL GROWTH IN HEALTH CARE. 2021 19 2464 43 YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION IN THE MANAGEMENT OF DYSFUNCTIONAL UTERINE BLEEDING: A CONTROLLED PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: DYSFUNCTIONAL UTERINE BLEEDING (DUB) IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON GYNECOLOGICAL DISORDERS ENCOUNTERED IN WOMEN DURING THE REPRODUCTIVE AGE. YOGA THERAPY HAS SHOWN PROMISING BENEFITS IN SEVERAL GYNECOLOGICAL DISORDERS. METHODS: THIRTY WOMEN BETWEEN THE AGES OF 20 AND 40 YEARS WITH PRIMARY DUB WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A YOGA (N = 15) AND A WAITLIST CONTROL GROUP (N = 15). PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA GROUP RECEIVED A 3-MONTH YOGA MODULE AND WERE ASSESSED FOR HEMOGLOBIN VALUES, ENDOMETRIAL THICKNESS (ET), PICTORIAL BLOOD LOSS ASSESSMENT CHART (PBAC), STATE-TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY, PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE, AND PITTSBURGH SLEEP QUALITY INDEX (PSQI) BEFORE AND AFTER A 3-MONTH FOLLOW-UP PERIOD. RESULTS: AT THE END OF 3 MONTHS OF INTERVENTION, THE YOGA GROUP, UNLIKE THE CONTROL GROUP, REPORTED A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN THE ANXIETY SCORES (P < 0.05) AND PERCEIVED STRESS (P < 0.05). THE PSQI SCORES INDICATED A REDUCTION IN SLEEP DISTURBANCES (P < 0.001) AND THE NEED FOR SLEEP MEDICATIONS (P < 0.01) AND HIGHER GLOBAL SCORES (P < 0.001). HOWEVER, THERE WERE NO CHANGES IN PBAC AND ET IN BOTH THE GROUPS. CONCLUSION: THE RESULTS INDICATE THAT YOGA THERAPY POSITIVELY IMPACTS THE OUTCOME OF DUB BY REDUCING THE PERCEIVED STRESS AND STATE ANXIETY AND IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF SLEEP. THIS WARRANTS LARGER CLINICAL TRIALS TO VALIDATE THE FINDINGS OF THIS PILOT STUDY. 2018 20 2319 42 TREATING THE CLIMACTERIC SYMPTOMS IN INDIAN WOMEN WITH AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO YOGA THERAPY: A RANDOMIZED CONTROL STUDY. OBJECTIVE: TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON THE CLIMACTERIC SYMPTOMS, PERCEIVED STRESS, AND PERSONALITY IN PERIMENOPAUSAL WOMEN. DESIGN: ONE HUNDRED TWENTY PARTICIPANTS (AGES 40-55 Y) WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO TWO STUDY ARMS, IE, YOGA AND CONTROL. THE YOGA GROUP PRACTICED AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO YOGA THERAPY COMPRISING SURYA NAMASKARA (SUN SALUTATION) WITH 12 POSTURES, PRANAYAMA (BREATHING PRACTICES), AND AVARTAN DHYAN (CYCLIC MEDITATION), WHEREAS THE CONTROL GROUP PRACTICED A SET OF SIMPLE PHYSICAL EXERCISES UNDER SUPERVISION OF TRAINED TEACHERS FOR 8 WEEKS (1 H DAILY, 5 DAYS PER WEEK). THE ASSESSMENTS WERE MADE BY GREENE CLIMACTERIC SCALE, PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE, AND EYSENCK'S PERSONALITY INVENTORY BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION. RESULTS: OF THE THREE FACTORS OF THE GREENE CLIMACTERIC SCALE, THE MANN-WHITNEY TEST SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GROUPS (P < 0.05) IN THE VASOMOTOR SYMPTOMS, A MARGINALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE (P = 0.06) IN PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS BUT NOT IN THE SOMATIC COMPONENT. EFFECT SIZES WERE HIGHER IN THE YOGA GROUP FOR ALL FACTORS. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER DEGREE OF DECREASE IN PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE SCORES (P < 0.001, INDEPENDENT SAMPLES T TEST) IN THE YOGA GROUP COMPARED WITH CONTROLS (BETWEEN-GROUP ANALYSIS) WITH A HIGHER EFFECT SIZE IN THE YOGA GROUP (1.10) THAN THE CONTROL (0.27). ON THE EYSENCK'S PERSONALITY INVENTORY, THE DECREASE IN NEUROTICISM WAS GREATER (P < 0.05) IN THE YOGA GROUP (EFFECT SIZE = 0.43) THAN THE CONTROL GROUP (EFFECT SIZE = 0.21) WITH NO CHANGE IN EXTROVERSION IN EITHER THE YOGA OR CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: EIGHT WEEKS OF AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO YOGA THERAPY DECREASES CLIMACTERIC SYMPTOMS, PERCEIVED STRESS, AND NEUROTICISM IN PERIMENOPAUSAL WOMEN BETTER THAN PHYSICAL EXERCISE. 2008