1 1170 111 EVALUATION OF A SPECIALIZED YOGA PROGRAM FOR PERSONS ADMITTED TO A COMPLEX CONTINUING CARE HOSPITAL: A PILOT STUDY. INTRODUCTION. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE A SPECIALIZED YOGA INTERVENTION FOR INPATIENTS IN A REHABILITATION AND COMPLEX CONTINUING CARE HOSPITAL. DESIGN. SINGLE-COHORT REPEATED MEASURES DESIGN. METHODS. PARTICIPANTS (N = 10) ADMITTED TO A REHABILITATION AND COMPLEX CONTINUING CARE HOSPITAL WERE RECRUITED TO PARTICIPATE IN A 50-60 MIN HATHA YOGA CLASS (MODIFIED FOR WHEELCHAIR USERS/SEATED POSITION) ONCE A WEEK FOR EIGHT WEEKS, WITH ASSIGNED HOMEWORK PRACTICE. QUESTIONNAIRES ON PAIN (PAIN, PAIN INTERFERENCE, AND PAIN CATASTROPHIZING), PSYCHOLOGICAL VARIABLES (DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND EXPERIENCES WITH INJUSTICE), MINDFULNESS, SELF-COMPASSION, AND SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING WERE COLLECTED AT THREE INTERVALS: PRE-, MID-, AND POST-INTERVENTION. RESULTS. REPEATED MEASURES ANOVAS REVEALED A SIGNIFICANT MAIN EFFECT OF TIME INDICATING IMPROVEMENTS OVER THE COURSE OF THE YOGA PROGRAM ON THE (1) ANXIETY SUBSCALE OF THE HOSPITAL ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SCALE, F(2,18) = 4.74, P < .05, AND ETAP(2) = .35, (2) SELF-COMPASSION SCALE-SHORT FORM, F(2,18) = 3.71, P < .05, AND ETAP(2) = .29, AND (3) MAGNIFICATION SUBSCALE OF THE PAIN CATASTROPHIZING SCALE, F(2,18) = 3. 66, P < .05, AND ETAP(2) = .29. DISCUSSION. THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT AN 8-WEEK HATHA YOGA PROGRAM IMPROVES PAIN-RELATED FACTORS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPERIENCES IN INDIVIDUALS ADMITTED TO A REHABILITATION AND COMPLEX CONTINUING CARE HOSPITAL. 2016 2 2653 40 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 3 657 24 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 4 2112 30 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 5 342 28 ASHTANGA YOGA FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS FOR WEIGHT MANAGEMENT AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL BEING: AN UNCONTROLLED OPEN PILOT STUDY. OBJECTIVE: THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PILOT STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON WEIGHT IN YOUTH AT RISK FOR DEVELOPING TYPE 2 DIABETES. SECONDARILY, THE IMPACT OF PARTICIPATION IN YOGA ON SELF-CONCEPT AND PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMS WAS MEASURED. METHODS: A 12-WEEK PROSPECTIVE PILOT ASHTANGA YOGA PROGRAM ENROLLED TWENTY CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS. WEIGHT WAS MEASURED BEFORE AND AFTER THE PROGRAM. ALL PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED SELF-CONCEPT, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION INVENTORIES AT THE INITIATION AND COMPLETION OF THE PROGRAM. RESULTS: FOURTEEN PREDOMINATELY HISPANIC CHILDREN, AGES 8-15, COMPLETED THE PROGRAM. THE AVERAGE WEIGHT LOSS WAS 2KG. WEIGHT DECREASED FROM 61.2+/-20.2KG TO 59.2+/-19.2KG (P=0.01). FOUR OF FIVE CHILDREN WITH LOW SELF-ESTEEM IMPROVED, ALTHOUGH TWO HAD DECREASES IN SELF-ESTEEM. ANXIETY SYMPTOMS IMPROVED IN THE STUDY. CONCLUSION: ASHTANGA YOGA MAY BE BENEFICIAL AS A WEIGHT LOSS STRATEGY IN A PREDOMINATELY HISPANIC POPULATION. 2009 6 1085 31 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 7 841 31 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 8 594 33 DEVELOPMENT AND FEASIBILITY OF A GROUP-BASED THERAPEUTIC YOGA PROGRAM FOR WOMEN WITH CHRONIC PELVIC PAIN. OBJECTIVE: TO DEVELOP A GROUP-BASED THERAPEUTIC YOGA PROGRAM FOR WOMEN WITH CHRONIC PELVIC PAIN (CPP) AND EXPLORE THE EFFECTS OF THIS PROGRAM ON PAIN SEVERITY, SEXUAL FUNCTION, AND WELL-BEING. METHODS: A YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM FOR CPP WAS DEVELOPED BY A MULTIDISCIPLINARY PANEL OF CLINICIANS, RESEARCHERS, AND YOGA CONSULTANTS. WOMEN REPORTING MODERATE TO SEVERE PELVIC PAIN FOR AT LEAST SIX MONTHS WERE RECRUITED INTO A SINGLE-ARM TRIAL. PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED TWICE WEEKLY GROUP CLASSES FOCUSING ON IYENGAR-BASED YOGA TECHNIQUES AND WERE INSTRUCTED TO PRACTICE YOGA AT HOME AN HOUR A WEEK FOR SIX WEEKS. PARTICIPANTS SELF-RATED THE SEVERITY OF THEIR PELVIC PAIN USING DAILY LOGS. THE IMPACT OF PARTICIPANTS' PAIN ON EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES, EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING, AND SEXUAL FUNCTION WAS ASSESSED USING AN IMPACT OF PELVIC PAIN (IPP) QUESTIONNAIRE. SEXUAL FUNCTION WAS FURTHER ASSESSED USING THE SEXUAL HEALTH OUTCOMES IN WOMEN QUESTIONNAIRE (SHOW-Q). RESULTS: AMONG THE 16 PARTICIPANTS (AGE RANGE = 31-64 YEARS), AVERAGE RATINGS OF THE SEVERITY OF PAIN "AT ITS WORST," "AT ITS BEST," AND "ON AVERAGE" DECREASED BY 29%, 32%, AND 34%, RESPECTIVELY, FROM START TO SIX WEEKS (P < 0.05 FOR ALL). WOMEN DEMONSTRATED IMPROVEMENTS IN SCORES ON IPP SUBSCALES FOR DAILY ACTIVITIES (1.8 +/- 0.7 TO 0.9 +/- 0.7, P < 0.001), EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING (1.7 +/- 0.9 TO 0.9 +/- 0.7, P = 0.005), AND SEXUAL FUNCTION (1.9 +/- 1.1 TO 1.0 +/- 0.9, P = 0.04). SCORES ON THE SHOW-Q "PELVIC PROBLEM INTERFERENCE" SCALE ALSO IMPROVED OVER SIX WEEKS (53 +/- 23 TO 27 +/- 23, P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: FINDINGS PROVIDE PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE OF THE FEASIBILITY OF TEACHING WOMEN WITH CPP TO PRACTICE YOGA TO SELF-MANAGE PAIN AND IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE AND SEXUAL FUNCTION. 2017 9 719 38 EFFECT OF IYENGAR YOGA ON MENTAL HEALTH OF INCARCERATED WOMEN: A FEASIBILITY STUDY. BACKGROUND: INCARCERATED WOMEN SHARE A DISPROPORTIONATE BURDEN OF MENTAL ILLNESS. ALTHOUGH PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATIONS ARE AVAILABLE TO WOMEN IN PRISON, ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT MODALITIES, SUCH AS IYENGAR YOGA, MAY INCREASE PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING. OBJECTIVES: THE PURPOSES OF THIS STUDY WERE (A) TO ADDRESS THE FEASIBILITY OF PROVIDING A GENDER-RESPONSIVE EXERCISE INTERVENTION WITHIN A CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION AND (B) TO OBSERVE THE EFFECT OF A GROUP-FORMAT IYENGAR YOGA PROGRAM THAT MET TWO SESSIONS A WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS ON LEVELS OF DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS, ANXIETY SYMPTOMS, AND PERCEIVED STRESS AMONG INCARCERATED WOMEN. METHODS: A REPEATED MEASURES DESIGN, IN WHICH EACH PARTICIPANT SERVED AS HER OWN CONTROL, WAS USED. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THREE SELF-ADMINISTERED INSTRUMENTS: THE BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY, THE BECK ANXIETY INVENTORY, AND THE PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE BEFORE TREATMENT (BASELINE) AND DURING TREATMENT (WEEKS 4, 8, AND 12). LINEAR MIXED EFFECTS MODELS WERE USED TO EXAMINE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN MENTAL HEALTH MEASURES OVER TIME, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF ALL AVAILABLE DATA. RESULTS: ALTHOUGH 21 WOMEN INITIALLY PARTICIPATED IN THE INTERVENTION, 6 WOMEN COMPLETED THE 12-WEEK INTERVENTION. A SIGNIFICANT LINEAR DECREASE WAS DEMONSTRATED IN SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION OVER TIME, WITH MEAN VALUES CHANGING FROM 24.90 AT BASELINE TO 5.67 AT WEEK 12. THERE WAS A MARGINALLY SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN ANXIETY OVER TIME (12.00 AT BASELINE TO 7.33 AT WEEK 12) AND A NONLINEAR CHANGE IN STRESS OVER TIME, WITH DECREASES FROM BASELINE TO WEEK 4 AND SUBSEQUENT INCREASES TO WEEK 12. DISCUSSION: WOMEN WHO PARTICIPATED IN THIS PROGRAM EXPERIENCED FEWER SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY OVER TIME. FINDINGS FROM THIS STUDY MAY BE USED TO IMPROVE FUTURE INTERVENTIONS FOCUSING ON THE HEALTH OUTCOMES OF INCARCERATED WOMEN. 2010 10 2871 31 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 11 1171 48 EVALUATION OF A SPECIALIZED YOGA PROGRAM FOR PERSONS WITH A SPINAL CORD INJURY: A PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVES: THE PURPOSE OF THIS RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL WAS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF A SPECIALIZED YOGA PROGRAM FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH A SPINAL CORD INJURY (SCI) ON PAIN, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND MINDFULNESS VARIABLES. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PARTICIPANTS WITH SCI (N=23) WERE OUTPATIENTS OR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AFFILIATED WITH A REHABILITATION HOSPITAL. PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO AN IYENGAR YOGA (IY; N=11) GROUP OR TO A 6-WEEK WAIT-LIST CONTROL (WLC; N=12) GROUP. THE IY GROUP PARTICIPATED IN A TWICE-WEEKLY 6-WEEK SEATED IY PROGRAM; THE WLC GROUP PARTICIPATED IN THE SAME YOGA PROGRAM, AFTER THE IY GROUP'S YOGA PROGRAM HAD ENDED. PAIN, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND MINDFULNESS MEASURES WERE COLLECTED AT TWO TIME POINTS FOR BOTH GROUPS (WITHIN 1-2 WEEKS BEFORE AND AFTER PROGRAM 1 AND AT A THIRD TIME POINT FOR THE WLC GROUP (WITHIN 1 WEEK AFTER PROGRAM 2). RESULTS: LINEAR MIXED-EFFECT GROWTH MODELS WERE CONDUCTED TO EVALUATE THE MAIN EFFECTS OF GROUP AT T2 (POSTINTERVENTION), CONTROLLING FOR T1 (PREINTERVENTION) SCORES. T2 DEPRESSION SCORES WERE LOWER (F1,18=6.1, P<0.05) AND T2 SELF-COMPASSION SCORES HIGHER (F1,18=6.57, P< 0.05) IN THE IY GROUP COMPARED TO THE WLC GROUP. TO INCREASE SAMPLE SIZE AND POWER, THE TWO GROUPS WERE COMBINED AND ANALYZED ACROSS TIME BY COMPARING PRE- AND POSTINTERVENTION SCORES. MAIN EFFECTS OF TIME WERE FOUND FOR DEPRESSION SCORES, (F1,14.83=6.62, P<0.05), SELF-COMPASSION, (F1,16.6=4.49, P<0.05), MINDFULNESS (F1,16.79=5.42, P<0.05), MINDFUL OBSERVING (F1,19.82=5.06, P<0.05), AND MINDFUL NONREACTIVITY, (F1,16.53=4.92, P<0.05), ALL SHOWING IMPROVEMENT AFTER THE INTERVENTION. DISCUSSION: THE RESULTS INDICATED THAT A SPECIALIZED 6-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION REDUCED DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AND INCREASED SELF-COMPASSION IN INDIVIDUALS WITH SCI, AND MAY ALSO HAVE FOSTERED GREATER MINDFULNESS. 2017 12 696 33 EFFECT OF FOUR WEEKS OF INTEGRATED YOGA INTERVENTION ON PERCEIVED STRESS AND SLEEP QUALITY AMONG FEMALE NURSING PROFESSIONALS WORKING AT A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL: A PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: STUDIES HAVE REPORTED THAT SIGNIFICANT NURSING PROFESSIONALS EXPERIENCE TREMENDOUS STRESS WHICH OFTEN AFFECTS THEIR SLEEP QUALITY LEADING TO POOR WELL-BEING. YOGA BEING A MIND BODY INTERVENTION REPORTED TO IMPROVE SLEEP QUALITY AND REDUCE STRESS. AIM: THE PRESENT PILOT STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO ASSESS THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON PERCEIVED STRESS AND SLEEP QUALITY OF THE FEMALE NURSING PROFESSIONALS WORKING AT TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIRTY-THREE APPARENTLY HEALTHY NURSING STAFFS IN THE AGE RANGE OF 30-60 YEARS (MEAN AGE 40.60 +/- 10.26) WERE RECRUITED AS PARTICIPANTS OF THE STUDY, FROM A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN DELHI. PARTICIPANTS WERE ADMINISTERED PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE (PSS) AND PITTSBURGH SLEEP QUALITY INDEX (PSQI) BEFORE AND AFTER THE YOGA INTERVENTION. PARTICIPANTS RECEIVED 4 WEEK OF YOGA INTERVENTION FOR 45 MIN/DAY FOR 5 DAYS A WEEK. RESULTS: THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION ON THE POSTSCORES OF PSS (T = 5.86, P < 0.0001, PAIRED T-TEST) AND PSQI (Z = -4.38, P < 0.0001, WILCOXON SIGNED-RANKS TEST) IN COMPARISON TO PRESCORES. AFTER THE YOGA INTERVENTION, PERCEIVED STRESS REDUCED BY 27.01% AND THE SLEEP QUALITY IMPROVED BY 38.68%. CONCLUSION: THE FINDING OF THE STUDY SUGGESTS EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA IN REDUCTION OF THE PERCEIVED STRESS AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE QUALITY OF SLEEP OF THE NURSING PROFESSIONAL. HOWEVER, THE PRESENT FINDINGS NEED TO BE CONFIRMED WITH FURTHER STUDIES WITH LARGER SAMPLE SIZE AND ROBUST RESEARCH DESIGN. 2021 13 1751 29 PILOT STUDY: USE OF MINDFULNESS, SELF-COMPASSION, AND YOGA PRACTICES WITH LOW-INCOME AND/OR UNINSURED PATIENTS WITH DEPRESSION AND/OR ANXIETY. PURPOSE: THIS PILOT STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MINDFULNESS PRACTICES, INCLUDING SELF-COMPASSION AND YOGA, ON DEPRESSION AND/OR ANXIETY IN UNINSURED AND/OR LOW-INCOME PATIENTS. DESIGN: THE DESIGN WAS REPEATED MEASURES WITH ONE GROUP. METHOD: PATIENTS RECEIVED 8 WEEKS OF MINDFULNESS TRAINING INCLUDING SELF-COMPASSION AND YOGA. DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY SYMPTOMS, SELF-COMPASSION, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING WERE MEASURED FOUR TIMES. FINDINGS: INTERVENTIONS WERE EFFECTIVE IN HELPING UNINSURED AND LOW-INCOME PATIENTS REDUCE DEPRESSION AND/OR ANXIETY SYMPTOMS. CONCLUSION: THIS STUDY MAY HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR A COST-EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR THESE DISORDERS. THE FINDINGS FROM THIS STUDY CAN PROVIDE USEFUL INFORMATION TO HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. 2015 14 459 41 CHANGES IN PAIN INTENSITY AND HEALTH RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE WITH IYENGAR YOGA IN NONSPECIFIC CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY. BACKGROUND: NONSPECIFIC CHRONIC LOW BACK (NCLBP) PAIN IS PREVALENT AMONG ADULT POPULATION AND OFTEN LEADS TO FUNCTIONAL LIMITATIONS, PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS, LOWER QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL), AND HIGHER HEALTHCARE COSTS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE EFFICACY OF IYENGAR YOGA THERAPY ON PAIN INTENSITY AND HEALTH RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQOL) WITH NCLBP. AIM OF THE STUDY: TO COMPARE THE EFFECT OF IYENGAR YOGA THERAPY AND CONVENTIONAL EXERCISE THERAPY ON PAIN INTENSITY AND HRQOL IN NONSPECIFIC CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: EXPERIMENTAL STUDY WITH RANDOM SAMPLING TECHNIQUE. SUBJECTS/INTERVENTION: SIXTY SUBJECTS WHO FULFILLED THE SELECTION CRITERIA WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO IYENGAR YOGA (YOGA GROUP, N = 30) AND CONTROL GROUP (EXERCISE GROUP, N = 30). PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED LOW BACK PAIN EVALUATION FORM AND HRQOL-4 QUESTIONNAIRE BEFORE THEIR INTERVENTION AND AGAIN 4 WEEKS AND 6 MONTH LATER. YOGA GROUP UNDERWENT 29 YOGIC POSTURES TRAINING AND EXERCISE GROUP HAD UNDERGONE GENERAL EXERCISE PROGRAM FOR 4 WEEKS. STATISTICS: REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE (ANOVA) WAS USED TO ANALYZE GROUP DIFFERENCES OVER TIME, WHILE CONTROLLING FOR BASELINE DIFFERENCES. RESULTS: PATIENTS IN BOTH GROUPS EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN PAIN AND IMPROVEMENT IN HRQOL. IN VISUAL ANALOGUE SCALE (VAS) YOGA GROUP SHOWED REDUCTION OF 72.81% (P = 0.001) AS COMPARED TO EXERCISE GROUP 42.50% (P = 0.001). IN HRQOL, YOGA GROUP SHOWED REDUCTION OF 86.99% (P = 0.001) AS COMPARED TO EXERCISE GROUP 67.66% (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT IYENGAR YOGA PROVIDES BETTER IMPROVEMENT IN PAIN REDUCTION AND IMPROVEMENT IN HRQOL IN NONSPECIFIC CHRONIC BACK PAIN THAN GENERAL EXERCISE. 2014 15 97 20 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 16 2618 28 YOGA FOR SELF-CARE AND BURNOUT PREVENTION AMONG NURSES. THE PROMOTION OF SELF-CARE AND THE PREVENTION OF BURNOUT AMONG NURSES IS A PUBLIC HEALTH PRIORITY. EVIDENCE SUPPORTS THE EFFICACY OF YOGA TO IMPROVE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES, BUT FEW STUDIES HAVE EXAMINED THE INFLUENCE OF YOGA ON NURSE-SPECIFIC OUTCOMES. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PILOT-LEVEL RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL WAS TO EXAMINE THE EFFICACY OF YOGA TO IMPROVE SELF-CARE AND REDUCE BURNOUT AMONG NURSES. COMPARED WITH CONTROLS (N = 20), YOGA PARTICIPANTS (N = 20) REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER SELF-CARE AS WELL AS LESS EMOTIONAL EXHAUSTION AND DEPERSONALIZATION UPON COMPLETION OF AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION. ALTHOUGH THE CONTROL GROUP DEMONSTRATED NO CHANGE THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE STUDY, THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN SCORES FROM PRE- TO POST-INTERVENTION FOR SELF-CARE (P < .001), MINDFULNESS (P = .028), EMOTIONAL EXHAUSTION (P = .008), AND DEPERSONALIZATION (P = .007) OUTCOMES. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE ARE DISCUSSED. 2015 17 2183 44 THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON PSYCHOSOCIAL VARIABLES AND EXERCISE ADHERENCE: A RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: PHYSICAL INACTIVITY IS A SERIOUS ISSUE FOR THE AMERICAN PUBLIC. BECAUSE OF CONDITIONS THAT RESULT FROM INACTIVITY, INDIVIDUALS INCUR CLOSE TO $1 TRILLION USD IN HEALTH-CARE COSTS, AND APPROXIMATELY 250 000 PREMATURE DEATHS OCCUR PER YEAR. RESEARCHERS HAVE LINKED ENGAGING IN YOGA TO IMPROVED OVERALL FITNESS, INCLUDING IMPROVED MUSCULAR STRENGTH, MUSCULAR ENDURANCE, FLEXIBILITY, AND BALANCE. RESEARCHERS HAVE NOT YET INVESTIGATED THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON EXERCISE ADHERENCE. OBJECTIVE: THE RESEARCH TEAM ASSESSED THE EFFECTS OF 10 WEEKS OF YOGA CLASSES HELD TWICE A WEEK ON EXERCISE ADHERENCE IN PREVIOUSLY SEDENTARY ADULTS. DESIGN: THE RESEARCH TEAM DESIGNED A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED PILOT TRIAL. THE TEAM COLLECTED DATA FROM THE INTERVENTION (YOGA) AND CONTROL GROUPS AT BASELINE, MIDPOINT, AND POSTTEST (POSTTEST 1) AND ALSO COLLECTED DATA PERTAINING TO EXERCISE ADHERENCE FOR THE YOGA GROUP AT 5 WEEKS POSTTEST (POSTTEST 2). SETTING: THE PILOT TOOK PLACE IN A YOGA STUDIO IN CENTRAL NEW JERSEY IN THE UNITED STATES. THE PRETESTING OCCURRED AT THE YOGA STUDIO FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS. MIDPOINT TESTING AND POSTTESTING OCCURRED AT THE STUDIO FOR THE YOGA GROUP AND BY MAIL FOR THE CONTROL GROUP. PARTICIPANTS: PARTICIPANTS WERE 27 ADULTS (MEAN AGE 51 Y) WHO HAD BEEN PHYSICALLY INACTIVE FOR A PERIOD OF AT LEAST 6 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE STUDY. INTERVENTIONS THE INTERVENTION GROUP (YOGA GROUP) RECEIVED HOUR-LONG HATHA YOGA CLASSES THAT MET TWICE A WEEK FOR 10 WEEKS. THE CONTROL GROUP DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN CLASSES DURING THE RESEARCH STUDY; HOWEVER, THEY WERE OFFERED COMPLIMENTARY POST RESEARCH CLASSES. OUTCOME MEASURES THE STUDY'S PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE WAS EXERCISE ADHERENCE AS MEASURED BY THE 7-DAY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY RECALL. THE SECONDARY MEASURES INCLUDED (1) EXERCISE SELF-EFFICACY AS MEASURED BY THE MULTIDIMENSIONAL SELF-EFFICACY FOR EXERCISE SCALE, (2) GENERAL WELL-BEING AS MEASURED BY THE GENERAL WELL-BEING SCHEDULE, (3) EXERCISE-GROUP COHESION AS MEASURED BY THE GROUP ENVIRONMENT QUESTIONNAIRE (GEQ), (4) ACUTE FEELING RESPONSE AS MEASURED BY THE EXERCISE-INDUCED FEELING INVENTORY (EFI), AND (5) TWO OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS CODED FOR EMERGING THEMES AND SUBCATEGORIES. RESULTS: THE ANALYSIS REVEALED THAT THE YOGA GROUP'S MEAN HOURS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AT 10 WEEKS REFLECTED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN EXERCISE ADHERENCE FROM BASELINE (P < .012) AND A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE FROM THE CONTROL GROUP (P < .004). AT 5 WEEKS POST-INTERVENTION, NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE HAD OCCURRED IN THE YOGA GROUP'S EXERCISE ADHERENCE (P = .906). EXERCISE SELF-EFFICACY CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY FROM BASELINE TO MIDPOINT (P < .029). THE GENERAL WELLBEING DATA DEMONSTRATED A SIGNIFICANT INTERACTION EFFECT (P < .001), RESULTING FROM AN INCREASE IN GENERAL WELL-BEING IN THE INTERVENTION GROUP AND A DECREASE IN GENERAL WELL-BEING IN THE CONTROL GROUP. IN ADDITION, THE YOGA GROUP'S COHESION SCORE WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE NORMS ON TWO CONSTRUCTS OF THE GEQ: ATTRACTION TO GROUP TASK AND GROUP INTEGRATION TASK. THE EFI REVEALED THAT THE YOGA PARTICIPANTS "FELT STRONGLY" THAT THEIR EXPERIENCES IN YOGA WERE PEACEFUL, HAPPY, UPBEAT, AND ENTHUSIASTIC AND THAT THEY FELT REVIVED FOLLOWING THE YOGA CLASSES. QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF DATA REVEALED SELF-REPORTED IMPROVEMENTS IN EXERCISE BEHAVIORS, STRESS MANAGEMENT, AND EATING HABITS. CONCLUSIONS: TEN WEEKS OF YOGA CLASSES TWICE A WEEK SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED PREVIOUSLY INACTIVE PARTICIPANTS' ADHERENCE TO PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. ADDITIONALLY, THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT A MIND-BODY EXERCISE PROGRAM MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION IN THE FIGHT AGAINST PHYSICAL INACTIVITY. 2012 18 1046 31 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 19 1086 27 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON STRESS, STRESS ADAPTION, AND HEART RATE VARIABILITY AMONG MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS--A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS EXPERIENCING WORK-RELATED STRESS MAY EXPERIENCE BURN OUT, LEADING TO A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THEIR ORGANIZATION AND PATIENTS. AIM: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA CLASSES ON WORK-RELATED STRESS, STRESS ADAPTATION, AND AUTONOMIC NERVE ACTIVITY AMONG MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS. METHODS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL WAS USED, WHICH COMPARED THE OUTCOMES BETWEEN THE EXPERIMENTAL (E.G., YOGA PROGRAM) AND THE CONTROL GROUPS (E.G., NO YOGA EXERCISE) FOR 12 WEEKS. WORK-RELATED STRESS AND STRESS ADAPTATION WERE ASSESSED BEFORE AND AFTER THE PROGRAM. HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV) WAS MEASURED AT BASELINE, MIDPOINT THROUGH THE WEEKLY YOGA CLASSES (6 WEEKS), AND POSTINTERVENTION (AFTER 12 WEEKS OF YOGA CLASSES). RESULTS: THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT THE MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS IN THE YOGA GROUP EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN WORK-RELATED STRESS (T = -6.225, P < .001), AND A SIGNIFICANT ENHANCEMENT OF STRESS ADAPTATION (T = 2.128, P = .042). PARTICIPANTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP REVEALED NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES. COMPARING THE MEAN DIFFERENCES IN PRE- AND POSTTEST SCORES BETWEEN YOGA AND CONTROL GROUPS, WE FOUND THE YOGA GROUP SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED WORK-RELATED STRESS (T = -3.216, P = .002), BUT THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN STRESS ADAPTATION (P = .084). WHILE CONTROLLING FOR THE PRETEST SCORES OF WORK-RELATED STRESS, PARTICIPANTS IN YOGA, BUT NOT THE CONTROL GROUP, REVEALED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN AUTONOMIC NERVE ACTIVITY AT MIDPOINT (6 WEEKS) TEST (T = -2.799, P = .007), AND AT POSTTEST (12 WEEKS; T = -2.099, P = .040). LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION: BECAUSE MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS EXPERIENCED A REDUCTION IN WORK-RELATED STRESS AND AN INCREASE IN AUTONOMIC NERVE ACTIVITY IN A WEEKLY YOGA PROGRAM FOR 12 WEEKS, CLINICIANS, ADMINISTRATORS, AND EDUCATORS SHOULD OFFER YOGA CLASSES AS A STRATEGY TO HELP HEALTH PROFESSIONALS REDUCE THEIR WORK-RELATED STRESS AND BALANCE AUTONOMIC NERVE ACTIVITIES. 2015 20 2127 32 THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF WELL-BEING AND RESILIENCE TO STRESS IN THE WORKPLACE. OBJECTIVES: RECENT RESEARCH HAS INDICATED CONCERN FOR THE DEGREE OF STRESS AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING AMONG UNIVERSITY STAFF. THIS STUDY EXAMINED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA IN ENHANCING EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING AND RESILIENCE TO STRESS AMONG UNIVERSITY EMPLOYEES. METHODS: IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL AT A BRITISH UNIVERSITY, WE RECRUITED 48 EMPLOYEES AND RANDOMIZED THEM INTO EITHER A YOGA OR A WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUP. THE YOGA GROUP WAS OFFERED SIX WEEKS OF DRU YOGA, COMPRISING ONE 60-MINUTE CLASS PER WEEK. THESE CLASSES WERE OFFERED BY A CERTIFIED DRU YOGA INSTRUCTOR AT LUNCHTIME FROM JANUARY-MARCH 2008. THE WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUP RECEIVED NO INTERVENTION DURING THIS SIX-WEEK STUDY. BASELINE AND END-PROGRAM MEASUREMENTS OF SELF-REPORTED MOOD AND WELL-BEING WERE SELF-ASSESSED WITH THE PROFILE OF MOOD STATES - BIPOLAR (POMS-BI) AND THE INVENTORY OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL ATTITUDES (IPPA). RESULTS: THIS SIX-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED POMS-BI AND IPPA SCORES FOR THE YOGA COMPARED TO THE WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUP FOR SEVEN OF EIGHT MEASURES OF MOOD AND WELL-BEING. IN COMPARISON TO THE WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUP AT BASELINE AND THE END OF THE PROGRAM, THE YOGA GROUP REPORTED MARKED IMPROVEMENTS IN FEELINGS OF CLEAR-MINDEDNESS, COMPOSURE, ELATION, ENERGY, AND CONFIDENCE. IN ADDITION, THE YOGA GROUP REPORTED INCREASED LIFE PURPOSE AND SATISFACTION, AND FEELINGS OF GREATER SELF-CONFIDENCE DURING STRESSFUL SITUATIONS. CONCLUSION: THESE RESULTS SHOW THAT EVEN A SHORT PROGRAM OF YOGA IS EFFECTIVE FOR ENHANCING EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING AND RESILIENCE TO STRESS IN THE WORKPLACE. WE SUGGEST THAT EMPLOYERS SHOULD CONSIDER OFFERING YOGA CLASSES TO THEIR EMPLOYEES. 2011