1 1336 119 HOW DOES YOGA REDUCE STRESS? A CLINICAL TRIAL TESTING PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS. YOGA INTERVENTIONS CAN REDUCE STRESS, BUT THE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING THAT STRESS REDUCTION REMAIN LARGELY UNIDENTIFIED. UNDERSTANDING HOW YOGA WORKS IS ESSENTIAL TO OPTIMIZING INTERVENTIONS. THE PRESENT STUDY TESTED FIVE POTENTIAL PSYCHOSOCIAL MECHANISMS (INCREASED MINDFULNESS, INTEROCEPTIVE AWARENESS, SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING, SELF-COMPASSION AND SELF-CONTROL) THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED TO EXPLAIN YOGA'S IMPACT ON STRESS. FORTY-TWO PARTICIPANTS (62% FEMALE; 64% WHITE) IN A YOGA PROGRAM FOR STRESS REDUCTION COMPLETED SURVEYS AT BASELINE (T1), MID-INTERVENTION (T2) AND POST-INTERVENTION (12 WEEKS; T3). WE MEASURED TWO ASPECTS OF STRESS, PERCEIVED STRESS AND STRESS REACTIVITY. CHANGES WERE ASSESSED WITH PAIRED T-TESTS; ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN CHANGES IN MECHANISMS WERE TESTED IN RESIDUAL CHANGE MODELS. ONLY STRESS REACTIVITY DECREASED, ON AVERAGE, FROM T1 TO T3. EXCEPT FOR SELF-COMPASSION, ALL PSYCHOSOCIAL MECHANISMS INCREASED FROM T1 TO T3, WITH MINIMAL CHANGES FROM T2 TO T3. EXCEPT FOR SELF-CONTROL, INCREASES IN EACH MECHANISM WERE STRONGLY ASSOCIATED WITH DECREASES IN BOTH MEASURES OF STRESS BETWEEN T1 AND T2 AND DECREASES IN PERCEIVED STRESS FROM T1 TO T3 (ALL P'S < 0.05). INCREASED PSYCHOSOCIAL RESOURCES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH STRESS REDUCTION. YOGA INTERVENTIONS TARGETING THESE RESOURCES MAY SHOW STRONGER STRESS REDUCTION EFFECTS. FUTURE RESEARCH SHOULD TEST THESE LINKAGES MORE RIGOROUSLY USING ACTIVE COMPARISON GROUPS AND LARGER SAMPLES. 2021 2 1373 33 IMPACT OF A YOGA INTERVENTION ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, SELF-EFFICACY, AND MOTIVATION IN WOMEN WITH PTSD SYMPTOMS. BACKGROUND: STUDIES USING YOGA HAVE DEMONSTRATED INITIAL EFFICACY FOR TREATING SYMPTOMS ACROSS ANXIETY DISORDERS, INCLUDING POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER. OBJECTIVE: UNDERSTANDING HOW INTERVENTIONS INFLUENCE PARTICIPANTS' PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND WHAT DETERMINANTS AFFECT CONTINUED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY BEHAVIOR CHANGE IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE MAINTENANCE OF THE BEHAVIOR MAY BE CRITICAL TO CONTINUED MENTAL HEALTH GAINS AND SYMPTOM REDUCTION. METHODS: THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED CHANGE IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND POSSIBLE PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY BEHAVIOR CHANGE, INCLUDING SELF-EFFICACY AND REGULATORY MOTIVATION, IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF YOGA FOR WOMEN WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER SYMPTOMS (N=38). RESULTS: GROWTH CURVE MODELING RESULTS SHOWED NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OR SELF-EFFICACY FOR EITHER GROUP, WHEREAS EXTERNAL MOTIVATION DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE YOGA GROUP BUT NOT IN THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: INVESTIGATORS OF FUTURE YOGA INTERVENTIONS MAY WANT TO FOCUS ON INCREASING SELF-EFFICACY AND INTERNAL REGULATORY MOTIVATION, SO THAT PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND RESULTANT SYMPTOM RELIEF CAN BE MAINTAINED. 2015 3 2837 36 YOGA'S IMPACT ON RISK AND PROTECTIVE FACTORS FOR DISORDERED EATING: A PILOT PREVENTION TRIAL. YOGA HAS BEEN PROPOSED AS A STRATEGY FOR IMPROVING RISK AND PROTECTIVE FACTORS FOR EATING DISORDERS, BUT FEW PREVENTION TRIALS HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PILOT STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF A YOGA SERIES IN FEMALE COLLEGE STUDENTS (N = 52). PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO A YOGA INTERVENTION (THREE 50-MINUTE YOGA CLASSES/WEEK FOR 10 WEEKS CONDUCTED BY CERTIFIED YOGA TEACHERS WHO RECEIVED A 3-DAY INTENSIVE TRAINING) OR A CONTROL GROUP. RISK AND PROTECTIVE FACTORS, ASSESSED AT BASELINE, 5 AND 10 WEEKS, INCLUDED BODY DISSATISFACTION, NEGATIVE AFFECT, LONELINESS, SELF-COMPASSION, POSITIVE AFFECT, AND MINDFULNESS. MIXED MODELS CONTROLLING FOR BASELINE LEVELS OF OUTCOME VARIABLES WERE RUN. ON AVERAGE, PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED 20 OUT OF 30 YOGA CLASSES, AND THE MAJORITY OF PARTICIPANTS REPORTED HIGH LEVELS OF SATISFACTION WITH THE YOGA SERIES. APPEARANCE ORIENTATION DECREASED AND POSITIVE AFFECT INCREASED IN THE YOGA GROUP RELATIVE TO THE CONTROL GROUP. AFTER CONTROLLING FOR BASELINE LEVELS, THE YOGA GROUP HAD A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER POSITIVE AFFECT THAN THE CONTROL GROUP. CHANGES IN OTHER OUTCOMES WERE NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT, AS COMPARED TO THE CONTROL CONDITION. FUTURE YOGA RESEARCH DIRECTIONS ARE DISCUSSED INCLUDING EDUCATION ABOUT BODY IMAGE, MEASURE AND SAMPLE SELECTION, AND USE OF AN IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE FRAMEWORK. 2020 4 1884 33 REDUCING STRESS IN SCHOOL-AGE GIRLS THROUGH MINDFUL YOGA. INTRODUCTION: SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN REPORT MUCH STRESS IN THEIR DAILY LIVES, WHICH MAY LEAD TO PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL PROBLEMS. MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION IS A PROGRAM OF AWARENESS-BASED PRACTICES EFFECTIVE WITH ADULTS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFICACY OF MINDFULNESS TRAINING THROUGH YOGA WITH SCHOOL-AGE GIRLS TO REDUCE PERCEIVED STRESS, ENHANCE COPING ABILITIES, SELF-ESTEEM, AND SELF-REGULATION, AND EXPLORE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE DOSE OF THE INTERVENTION AND OUTCOMES. METHOD: FOURTH- AND FIFTH-GRADE GIRLS WERE RECRUITED FROM TWO PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO INTERVENTION AND WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUPS. THE INTERVENTION GROUP MET 1 HOUR A WEEK FOR 8 WEEKS AND COMPLETED 10 MINUTES OF DAILY HOMEWORK. RESULTS: SELF-ESTEEM AND SELF-REGULATION INCREASED IN BOTH GROUPS. THE INTERVENTION GROUP WAS MORE LIKELY TO REPORT GREATER APPRAISAL OF STRESS (P < .01) AND GREATER FREQUENCY OF COPING (P < .05). HOMEWORK ACCOUNTED FOR 7% OF THE VARIANCE IN REPORTED STRESS. DISCUSSION: CONSISTENT WITH REPORTS OF MINDFULNESS TRAINING, GREATER AWARENESS OF THE FEELINGS ASSOCIATED WITH STRESS MAY ENHANCE COPING ABILITIES. HOWEVER, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE INCREASING AWARENESS OF STRESSORS IN ITSELF INCREASED STRESS, POSSIBLY AS PART OF THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING MINDFULNESS OR RELATED TO COGNITIVE, EMOTIONAL, OR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT. MINDFULNESS IN CHILDREN MAY DIFFER FROM MINDFULNESS IN ADULTS AND WARRANTS FURTHER INVESTIGATION. 2012 5 110 24 A PILOT STUDY MEASURING THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON THE TRAIT OF MINDFULNESS. BACKGROUND: THE CURRENT STUDY EXAMINED WHETHER YOGA WOULD INCREASE LEVELS OF MINDFULNESS IN A HEALTHY POPULATION. METHOD: FORTY-SIX PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION GROUP OR A WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUP. MINDFULNESS WAS ASSESSED PRE AND POST YOGA, USING THE FREIBURG MINDFULNESS INVENTORY (FMI). RESULTS: RESULTS INDICATE THAT THE YOGA GROUP EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN OVERALL MINDFULNESS, AND IN THREE MINDFULNESS SUBSCALES; ATTENTION TO THE PRESENT MOMENT, ACCEPTING AND OPEN ATTITUDES TOWARD EXPERIENCE, AND INSIGHTFUL UNDERSTANDING (P < .01). THE CONTROL GROUP EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN OVERALL MINDFULNESS (P < .02) AND INSIGHTFUL UNDERSTANDING (P < .01). FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT A YOGA INTERVENTION MAY BE A VIABLE METHOD FOR INCREASING LEVELS OF TRAIT MINDFULNESS IN A HEALTHY POPULATION, POTENTIALLY IMPLICATING YOGA AS A PREVENTIVE METHOD FOR THE LATER DEVELOPMENT OF NEGATIVE EMOTIONAL MOOD STATES (I.E. ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION). THE CONTROL GROUP ALSO EXPERIENCED MODERATE ELEVATIONS OF MINDFULNESS AT THE SECOND ASSESSMENT. 2009 6 1628 22 MINDFULNESS, SELF-COMPASSION, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION MEASURES IN SOUTH AUSTRALIAN YOGA PARTICIPANTS: IMPLICATIONS FOR DESIGNING A YOGA INTERVENTION. AIM: THE AIM OF THE STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE DEMOGRAPHIC AND PRACTICE CHARACTERISTICS OF CURRENT YOGA PARTICIPANTS AND ASSESS THEIR LEVELS OF MINDFULNESS, SELF-COMPASSION, STRESS, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND WELLBEING AND IMPLICATIONS FOR DESIGNING A YOGA INTERVENTION. METHODS: A WEB-BASED SURVEY WAS ADMINISTERED TO SOUTH AUSTRALIAN YOGA TEACHERS AND STUDENTS FROM SEPTEMBER 2014 TO FEBRUARY 2015. RESULTS: RESULTS SHOWED A POSITIVE CORRELATION WITH MINDFULNESS AND SELF-COMPASSION AND NEGATIVE CORRELATION WITH DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND STRESS SCORES WITH MONTHS OF PRACTICE. MINDFULNESS AND SELF-COMPASSION SCORES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER WITH TWO OR MORE CLASSES PER WEEK AND MINDFULNESS HIGHER IN THOSE WITH A REGULAR MEDITATION PRACTICE. DISCUSSION: KEY FINDINGS INDICATE THAT CLASS FREQUENCY, PRACTICE EXPERIENCE AND MEDITATION PRACTICE ARE IMPORTANT FACTORS IN DESIGNING A YOGA INTERVENTION EXAMINING MINDFULNESS AND MENTAL HEALTH. CONCLUSION: FINDINGS PROVIDE IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR GUIDING DEVELOPMENT OF A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION. 2018 7 2822 31 YOGA V. HEALTH EDUCATION FOR ATTENTIONAL PROCESSES RELEVANT TO MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER. OBJECTIVES: RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT YOGA MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT FOR PERSISTENT DEPRESSION, THE BENEFITS OF WHICH MAY ACCUMULATE OVER TIME. THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS STUDY WERE TO EVALUATE THE FOLLOWING IN A SAMPLE OF PERSISTENTLY DEPRESSED INDIVIDUALS: WHETHER YOGA INCREASES MINDFULNESS AND WHETHER YOGA ATTENUATES RUMINATION. RUMINATION AND MINDFULNESS BOTH REPRESENT ATTENTIONAL PROCESSES RELEVANT FOR ONSET AND MAINTENANCE OF DEPRESSIVE EPISODES. METHODS: ONE-HUNDRED-TEN INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE PERSISTENTLY DEPRESSED DESPITE ONGOING USE OF PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT WERE RECRUITED INTO AN RCT COMPARING YOGA WITH A HEALTH EDUCATION CLASS. MINDFULNESS AND RUMINATION WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE AND ACROSS 3 TIME POINTS DURING THE TEN-WEEK INTERVENTION. RESULTS: FINDINGS DEMONSTRATE THAT, COMPARED TO HEALTH EDUCATION, YOGA WAS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER MEAN LEVELS OF THE OBSERVE FACET OF MINDFULNESS RELATIVE TO THE CONTROL GROUP DURING THE INTERVENTION PERIOD (P =.004, D =0.38), AND THAT YOGA WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A FASTER RATE OF INCREASE IN LEVELS OF ACTING WITH AWARENESS OVER THE INTERVENTION PERIOD (P= .03, F(2) =0.027). THERE WERE NO DIFFERENCES BETWEEN INTERVENTION GROUPS WITH RESPECT TO RUMINATION. CONCLUSIONS: RESULTS SUGGEST A SMALL EFFECT OF YOGA ON COMPONENTS OF MINDFULNESS DURING A 10-WEEK INTERVENTION PERIOD. PREVIOUS RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT CONTINUED ASSESSMENT AFTER THE INITIAL 10 WEEKS MAY REVEAL CONTINUED IMPROVEMENT. FUTURE RESEARCH MAY ALSO EXAMINE MODERATORS OF THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON MINDFULNESS AND RUMINATION, INCLUDING CLINICAL FACTORS SUCH AS DEPRESSION SEVERITY OR DEPRESSION CHRONICITY, OR DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS SUCH AS AGE. 2021 8 1367 23 IMPACT OF A MINDFULNESS-BASED, WORKPLACE GROUP YOGA INTERVENTION ON BURNOUT, SELF-CARE, AND COMPASSION IN HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS: A PILOT STUDY. OBJECTIVE: TO INVESTIGATE WHETHER A WORKPLACE, GROUP MINDFULNESS-BASED YOGA INTERVENTION COULD HELP MANAGE BURNOUT AND IMPROVE WELLBEING AMONG HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS. METHODS: A TOTAL OF 43 HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS PARTICIPATED IN 8-WEEK SUPERVISED WORKPLACE, GROUP MINDFULNESS-BASED YOGA ACTIVITIES. THE AUTHORS USED A SINGLE-SAMPLE, PRE-POST DESIGN. AT TWO POINTS IN TIME (BASELINE AND POSTINTERVENTION), PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED A SET OF ONLINE MEASURES ASSESSING BURNOUT, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, STRESS, RESILIENCE, AND COMPASSION. THE AUTHORS USED LINEAR MIXED MODEL ANALYSIS TO ASSESS CHANGES IN OUTCOME MEASURES. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS HAD IMPROVEMENTS AFTER THE 8-WEEK INTERVENTION. AT POSTINTERVENTION, THEY HAD SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER SCORES ON PERSONAL ACCOMPLISHMENT, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, STRESS, PERCEIVED RESILIENCE, AND COMPASSION. PARTICIPANTS HAD A POSITIVE PERCEPTION OF THE YOGA INTERVENTION. CONCLUSION: GROUP MINDFULNESS-BASED YOGA PROGRAM MAY BE CONVENIENT AND LOW-COST APPROACH TO SUPPORT HEALTH AND WELLBEING AMONG HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS. 2020 9 115 24 A PILOT STUDY OF A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR THE TREATMENT OF ANXIETY IN YOUNG PEOPLE WITH EARLY PSYCHOSIS. BACKGROUND: ANXIETY IS COMMON IN YOUNG PEOPLE WITH EARLY PSYCHOSIS AND TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR THIS CO-MORBIDITY REMAIN LIMITED. YOGA IS A PROMISING ADJUNCT INTERVENTION THAT HAS BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE ANXIETY FOR ADULTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA, THEREFORE THIS PILOT STUDY EVALUATED THE ACCEPTABILITY AND POTENTIAL EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR ANXIETY IN EARLY PSYCHOSIS. METHODS: A PROSPECTIVE SINGLE ARM PILOT STUDY OF A YOGA INTERVENTION WAS CONDUCTED WITHIN AN EARLY INTERVENTION FOR PSYCHOSIS SERVICE. RATES OF ATTENDANCE, AS WELL AS SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY PRE AND POST YOGA SESSION WERE MEASURED. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 14 YOUNG PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY AND OVER 70% ATTENDED HALF OR MORE OF THE YOGA SESSIONS OFFERED. SIGNIFICANT TRANSIENT REDUCTION IN STATE ANXIETY AFTER A SINGLE SESSION OF YOGA WAS OBSERVED (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: YOGA WAS FOUND TO BE AN ACCEPTABLE AND POTENTIALLY EFFECTIVE ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT FOR ANXIETY IN EARLY PSYCHOSIS AND THE RESULTS WARRANT FURTHER CLINICAL TRIALS. 2022 10 1428 35 IMPROVEMENTS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL WELL-BEING FOLLOWING A BRIEF YOGA-BASED PROGRAM FOR EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS. OBJECTIVE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE CHANGES IN PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL WELL-BEING IN EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS WHO ATTENDED A YOGA-BASED PROGRAM. METHODS: EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS WHO ATTENDED A 3-DAY YOGA-BASED RISE (RESILIENCE, INTEGRATION, SELF-AWARENESS, ENGAGEMENT) PROGRAM WERE RECRUITED TO PARTICIPATE. RISE WAS ADMINISTERED AT THE KRIPALU CENTER FOR YOGA & HEALTH. MEASURES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL WELL-BEING, AND HEALTH-RELATED BEHAVIORS WERE COMPLETED BEFORE (BASELINE), AFTER (POST), AND 2 MONTHS AFTER RISE (FOLLOW-UP). FORTY-FOUR PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED BASELINE AND POST AND WERE INCLUDED IN THE ANALYSIS. OF THOSE, 33 PARTICIPANTS ALSO COMPLETED THE FOLLOW-UP. PAIRED SAMPLES T TESTS WERE USED TO COMPARE SCORES BETWEEN TIME POINTS. RESULTS: COMPARED TO BASELINE, AT POST, PARTICIPANTS SHOWED IMPROVEMENTS IN PERCEIVED STRESS, MINDFULNESS, EMPOWERMENT, POSITIVE AFFECT, NEGATIVE AFFECT, SELF-COMPASSION, TOTAL WORK ENGAGEMENT, VIGOR, SLEEP QUALITY (ALL P VALUES < .001), RESILIENCE, SATISFACTION WITH LIFE, AS WELL AS EXHAUSTION AND PROFESSIONAL EFFICACY WHICH ARE DIMENSIONS OF BURNOUT (ALL P VALUES < .01). AT THE FOLLOW-UP, SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE MAINTAINED FOR MINDFULNESS, EMPOWERMENT, SELF-COMPASSION, SLEEP QUALITY (ALL P VALUES < .001), RESILIENCE, VIGOR, AND EXHAUSTION (ALL P VALUES < .01) AND POSITIVE AFFECT, SATISFACTION WITH LIFE, AND WORK ENGAGEMENT (ALL P VALUES < .05). CONCLUSIONS: THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT THE YOGA-BASED RISE PROGRAM IMPROVES PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL WELL-BEING IN EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS. IN ADDITION, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED THAT ATTENDING RISE WAS FEASIBLE, THEY COULD CONTINUE USING RISE PRACTICES LONG-TERM, SHARED THEM WITH WORK COLLEAGUES, AND REPORTED THAT RISE POSITIVELY IMPACTED BOTH THEIR DAILY LIVES AND WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT. WITH THESE PROMISING RESULTS, ADDITIONAL CONTROLLED RESEARCH IS WARRANTED. 2019 11 96 32 A NATURALISTIC STUDY OF YOGA, MEDITATION, SELF-PERCEIVED STRESS, SELF-COMPASSION, AND MINDFULNESS IN COLLEGE STUDENTS. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY COMPARED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA AND MINDFULNESS MEDITATION ON SELF-COMPASSION, MINDFULNESS, AND PERCEIVED STRESS IN COLLEGE STUDENTS; AND EXPLORED MIND-BODY MECHANISMS AND PREDICTORS OF STRESS REDUCTION. PARTICIPANTS: STUDENT PARTICIPANTS (N = 92) WERE ENROLLED IN EITHER YOGA OR MINDFULNESS MEDITATION CLASSES AT A COLLEGE IN THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES FROM AUGUST THROUGH MAY OF 2015-2016. METHODS: STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN 50-MINUTE CLASSES TWICE A WEEK FOR 10 WEEKS, COMPLETING SELF-REPORT QUESTIONNAIRES DURING THE 1ST AND 10TH WEEK. RESULTS: MULTIPLE-LINEAR REGRESSION ANALYSIS FOUND CHANGE IN SELF-COMPASSION WAS THE STRONGEST PREDICTOR OF STRESS REDUCTION. CONCLUSIONS: INCREASING SELF-COMPASSION MAY INCREASE THE EFFICACY OF MIND-BODY INTERVENTIONS. RESEARCH INTO MIND-BODY MECHANISMS IS NEEDED TO IDENTIFY INTERVENTION COMPONENTS THAT MOST IMPROVE STUDENT WELL-BEING. 2019 12 294 28 AFFECT AND MINDFULNESS AS PREDICTORS OF CHANGE IN MOOD DISTURBANCE, STRESS SYMPTOMS, AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN A COMMUNITY-BASED YOGA PROGRAM FOR CANCER SURVIVORS. LITTLE ATTENTION HAS BEEN PAID TO THE PSYCHOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS BY WHICH BENEFITS ARE ACCRUED VIA YOGA PRACTICE IN CANCER-RELATED CLINICAL SETTINGS. USING A LONGITUDINAL MULTILEVEL MODELING APPROACH, ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN AFFECT, MINDFULNESS, AND PATIENT-REPORTED MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES, INCLUDING MOOD DISTURBANCE, STRESS SYMPTOMS, AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQL), WERE EXAMINED IN AN EXISTING SEVEN-WEEK YOGA PROGRAM FOR CANCER SURVIVORS. PARTICIPANTS (N = 66) WERE ASSESSED BEFORE AND AFTER THE YOGA PROGRAM AND AT THREE- AND SIX-MONTH FOLLOW-UPS. DECREASES IN MOOD DISTURBANCE AND STRESS SYMPTOMS AND IMPROVEMENTS IN HRQL WERE OBSERVED UPON PROGRAM COMPLETION. IMPROVEMENTS IN MOOD DISTURBANCE AND STRESS SYMPTOMS WERE MAINTAINED AT THE THREE- AND SIX-MONTH FOLLOW-UPS. HRQL EXHIBITED FURTHER IMPROVEMENT AT THE THREE-MONTH FOLLOW-UP, WHICH WAS MAINTAINED AT THE SIX-MONTH FOLLOW-UP. IMPROVEMENTS IN MEASURES OF WELL-BEING WERE PREDICTED BY INITIAL POSITIVE YOGA BELIEFS AND CONCURRENTLY ASSESSED AFFECTIVE AND MINDFULNESS PREDICTOR VARIABLES. PREVIOUS YOGA EXPERIENCE, AFFECT, MINDFULNESS, AND HRQL WERE RELATED TO YOGA PRACTICE MAINTENANCE OVER THE COURSE OF THE STUDY. 2013 13 1684 23 OPEN TRIAL OF VINYASA YOGA FOR PERSISTENTLY DEPRESSED INDIVIDUALS: EVIDENCE OF FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE ACCEPTABILITY AND FEASIBILITY OF VINYASA YOGA AS AN ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSED PATIENTS WHO WERE NOT RESPONDING ADEQUATELY TO ANTIDEPRESSANT MEDICATION. THE AUTHORS ALSO PLANNED TO ASK PARTICIPANTS FOR QUALITATIVE FEEDBACK ON THEIR EXPERIENCE OF THE CLASS AND TO ASSESS CHANGE OVER TIME IN DEPRESSION AND IN POSSIBLE MEDIATING VARIABLES. THE AUTHORS RECRUITED 11 PARTICIPANTS IN 1 MONTH FOR AN 8-WEEK OPEN TRIAL OF YOGA CLASSES. THEY FOUND THAT 10 PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED FOLLOW-UP ASSESSMENTS, 9 OF 10 WERE POSITIVE ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE, AND ALL PROVIDED FEEDBACK ABOUT WHAT WAS AND WAS NOT HELPFUL ABOUT YOGA, AS WELL AS BARRIERS TO CLASS ATTENDANCE. OVER THE 2-MONTH PERIOD, PARTICIPANTS EXHIBITED SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS AND SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN AN ASPECT OF MINDFULNESS AND IN BEHAVIOR ACTIVATION. THIS PILOT STUDY PROVIDED SUPPORT FOR CONTINUING TO INVESTIGATE VINYASA YOGA AS AN ADJUNCT TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION. THE NEXT STEP REQUIRED IS A RIGOROUS RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL. 2010 14 112 30 A PILOT STUDY OF A MINDFULNESS INFORMED YOGA INTERVENTION IN YOUNG PEOPLE WITH PSYCHOSIS. AIM: TO DETERMINE THE ACCEPTABILITY AND SAFETY OF A MINDFULNESS INFORMED YOGA INTERVENTION AS ADJUNCT TO USUAL CARE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH EARLY PSYCHOSIS. METHODS: PEOPLE AGED 16-25 YEARS ATTENDING A COMMUNITY-BASED SPECIALIST EARLY PSYCHOSIS CLINIC WERE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN A 12-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION. THE INTERVENTION CONSISTED OF 1-H WEEKLY CLASSES OF MINDFULNESS INFORMED YOGA. ACCEPTABILITY WAS MEASURED BY UPTAKE, ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPANTS' SATISFACTION. SAFETY WAS MEASURED BY INCIDENCE OF PHYSICAL INJURY, PARTICIPANTS' LEVEL OF COMFORT, DISTRESS AND ANXIETY DURING THE SESSIONS, AND THE FOLLOWING MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES: POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE PSYCHOTIC, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND STRESS SYMPTOMS, SLEEP QUALITY AND FUNCTIONING. RESULTS: OF THOSE WHO CONSENTED TO THE STUDY, 80% (12) PARTICIPATED AND ON AVERAGE ATTENDED 4.4 YOGA CLASSES. THERE WERE NO PHYSICAL INJURIES AND PARTICIPANTS REPORTED MINIMAL DISTRESS AND ANXIETY. POST-INTERVENTION, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN ANXIETY SYMPTOMS AND AN IMPROVEMENT IN FUNCTION. CONCLUSIONS: MINDFULNESS-BASED YOGA INTERVENTIONS ARE BOTH ACCEPTABLE AND SAFE AS AN INTERVENTION FOR YOUTH WITH EARLY PSYCHOSIS. THOUGH NUMBERS WERE SMALL, THE STUDY SHOWS PROMISE FOR YOGA AS A POTENTIALLY USEFUL INTERVENTION. IMPORTANTLY, THERE WAS NO DETERIORATION IN MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES. A LARGER TRIAL EVALUATING CLINICAL EFFECTIVENESS IS NOW TIMELY. 2022 15 2458 37 YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT OF DEPRESSION: EFFECTS OF TRAITS AND MOODS ON TREATMENT OUTCOME. PRELIMINARY FINDINGS SUPPORT THE POTENTIAL OF YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT OF DEPRESSED PATIENTS WHO ARE TAKING ANTI-DEPRESSANT MEDICATIONS BUT WHO ARE ONLY IN PARTIAL REMISSION. THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO PRESENT FURTHER DATA ON THE INTERVENTION, FOCUSING ON INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN PSYCHOLOGICAL, EMOTIONAL AND BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES AFFECTING TREATMENT OUTCOME. TWENTY-SEVEN WOMEN AND 10 MEN WERE ENROLLED IN THE STUDY, OF WHOM 17 COMPLETED THE INTERVENTION AND PRE- AND POST-INTERVENTION ASSESSMENT DATA. THE INTERVENTION CONSISTED OF 20 CLASSES LED BY SENIOR IYENGAR YOGA TEACHERS, IN THREE COURSES OF 20 YOGA CLASSES EACH. ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE DIAGNOSED WITH UNIPOLAR MAJOR DEPRESSION IN PARTIAL REMISSION. PSYCHOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS WERE ASSESSED PRE- AND POST-INTERVENTION, AND PARTICIPANTS RATED THEIR MOOD STATES BEFORE AND AFTER EACH CLASS. SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS WERE SHOWN FOR DEPRESSION, ANGER, ANXIETY, NEUROTIC SYMPTOMS AND LOW FREQUENCY HEART RATE VARIABILITY IN THE 17 COMPLETERS. ELEVEN OUT OF THESE COMPLETERS ACHIEVED REMISSION LEVELS POST-INTERVENTION. PARTICIPANTS WHO REMITTED DIFFERED FROM THE NON-REMITTERS AT INTAKE ON SEVERAL TRAITS AND ON PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES INDICATIVE OF A GREATER CAPACITY FOR EMOTIONAL REGULATION. MOODS IMPROVED FROM BEFORE TO AFTER THE YOGA CLASSES. YOGA APPEARS TO BE A PROMISING INTERVENTION FOR DEPRESSION; IT IS COST-EFFECTIVE AND EASY TO IMPLEMENT. IT PRODUCES MANY BENEFICIAL EMOTIONAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS, AS SUPPORTED BY OBSERVATIONS IN THIS STUDY. THE PHYSIOLOGICAL METHODS ARE ESPECIALLY USEFUL AS THEY PROVIDE OBJECTIVE MARKERS OF THE PROCESSES AND EFFECTIVENESS OF TREATMENT. THESE OBSERVATIONS MAY HELP GUIDE FURTHER CLINICAL APPLICATION OF YOGA IN DEPRESSION AND OTHER MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS, AND FUTURE RESEARCH ON THE PROCESSES AND MECHANISMS. 2007 16 1619 32 MINDFUL2WORK THE NEXT STEPS: EFFECTIVENESS OF A PROGRAM COMBINING PHYSICAL EXERCISE, YOGA AND MINDFULNESS, ADDING A WAIT-LIST PERIOD, MEASUREMENTS UP TO ONE YEAR LATER AND QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS. BACKGROUND: MINDFUL2WORK IS A 6-WEEK PROGRAM COMBINING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, YOGA AND MINDFULNESS MEDITATIONS, TARGETING (WORK-RELATED) STRESS COMPLAINTS FROM A BODY-MIND PERSPECTIVE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: WE COMBINED A TOP-DOWN APPROACH (RESEARCHER-DRIVEN OUTCOME MEASURES) WITH A BOTTOM-UP APPROACH (PERSONAL GOALS AND INTERVIEW DATA) TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS ON 98 EMPLOYEES WITH AT LEAST MODERATE (WORK-RELATED) STRESS. EFFECTS ON PERSONAL GOALS, WELL-BEING (STRESS, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, SLEEP, AFFECT, HAPPINESS), FUNCTIONING AT WORK (DROPOUT, MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WORKABILITY, WORK SATISFACTION), AND TRAINING-SPECIFIC ASPECTS (MINDFUL AWARENESS, SELF-COMPASSION, EMOTION REGULATION STRATEGIES) WERE ASSESSED. RESULTS: NEARLY ALL MEASURES SHOWED NO CHANGE DURING THE WAIT-LIST PERIOD, WITH ONLY NEGATIVE AFFECT AND PHYSICAL WORKABILITY SHOWING SMALL STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS. MEDIUM TO LARGE EFFECT SIZE IMPROVEMENTS DIRECTLY AFTER TRAINING AND AT ALL FOLLOW-UPS WERE FOUND ON PRIMARY OUTCOMES STRESS (0.62-1.17), AND RISK FOR DROPOUT FROM WORK (0.55-1.00), AND LARGEST EFFECTS OCCURRED ON PERSONAL GOALS (0.98-1.46). IMPROVEMENTS IN WELL-BEING AND FUNCTIONING AT WORK WERE MEDIUM DIRECTLY AFTER TRAINING, AND AT FOLLOW-UP 1 (SIX WEEKS LATER) AND 2 (SIX MONTHS LATER), AND LARGE AT FOLLOW-UP 3 (ONE YEAR LATER). THE TRAINING-SPECIFIC MEASURES SHOWED SMALL TO MEDIUM EFFECTS AFTER TRAINING AND AT FOLLOW-UP 1. FURTHER, FROM THE INTERVIEWS (N = 9), TWO MAIN CATEGORIES OF EFFECTS EMERGED: WELL-BEING AND ACQUIRED INSIGHTS. CONCLUSION: MINDFUL2WORK SHOWED SUBSTANTIAL AND LONG-LASTING IMPROVEMENTS ACCORDING TO RESEARCHER-DRIVEN MEASURES AS WELL AS PARTICIPANTS' OWN REPORTS. 2020 17 2640 30 YOGA FOR VETERANS WITH PTSD: COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING, MENTAL HEALTH, AND SALIVARY CORTISOL. OBJECTIVE: RESEARCH INDICATES THAT COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING IS NEGATIVELY IMPACTED BY EXPOSURE TO CHRONIC STRESS DUE TO OVERACTIVATION OF THE STRESS RESPONSE. YOGA HAS DEMONSTRATED BENEFITS WHEN PRACTICED BY INDIVIDUALS DIAGNOSED WITH POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD). THIS QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL PILOT STUDY EXAMINED THE IMPACT OF A YOGA INTERVENTION ON COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING, SYMPTOMS OF PTSD, AND THE BIOLOGICAL STRESS RESPONSE IN VETERANS DIAGNOSED WITH PTSD. METHOD: COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING, SELF-REPORT MEASURES OF MENTAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS, AND SALIVARY CORTISOL WERE MEASURED WITHIN TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO BEGINNING AND FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF A 10-WEEK YOGA PROTOCOL. VETERANS WITH PTSD PARTICIPATED IN GENDER-SPECIFIC GROUPS OF THE YOGA INTERVENTION. PAIRED T TESTS AND CORRELATIONAL ANALYSES WERE USED TO ANALYZE QUANTITATIVE DATA. RESULTS: STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE OBSERVED BETWEEN BASELINE AND POSTINTERVENTION SCORES ON MEASURES OF RESPONSE INHIBITION, PTSD, DEPRESSION, SLEEP, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND SUBJECTIVE NEUROCOGNITIVE COMPLAINTS. POSITIVE CORRELATIONS WERE FOUND BETWEEN BASELINE AND POSTINTERVENTION CHANGES IN SLEEP AND DEPRESSION, AND BETWEEN CHANGE IN CORTISOL OUTPUT AND A MEASURE OF LIFE SATISFACTION. STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES (BASELINE TO POSTINTERVENTION) FOR OTHER OBJECTIVE MEASURES OF COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE AND CORTISOL WERE NOT DETECTED. CONCLUSIONS: RESULTS PROVIDE PRELIMINARY SUPPORT FOR THE PRACTICE OF YOGA TO IMPROVE COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING (RESPONSE INHIBITION) RELATED TO SYMPTOMS OF PTSD WHILE ALSO IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS, SLEEP, AND QUALITY OF LIFE. POSITIVE CORRELATIONS AFFIRM THE ROLE OF SLEEP IN MOOD SYMPTOMS AND INDICATE THE NEED FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE ROLE OF CORTISOL IN LIFE SATISFACTION. (PSYCINFO DATABASE RECORD (C) 2020 APA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED). 2020 18 1182 26 EVALUATION OF THE MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA IN A SECONDARY SCHOOL: A PRELIMINARY RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. THE GOAL OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE POTENTIAL MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR ADOLESCENTS IN SECONDARY SCHOOL. STUDENTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER REGULAR PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASSES OR TO 11 WEEKS OF YOGA SESSIONS BASED UPON THE YOGA ED PROGRAM OVER A SINGLE SEMESTER. STUDENTS COMPLETED BASELINE AND END-PROGRAM SELF-REPORT MEASURES OF MOOD, ANXIETY, PERCEIVED STRESS, RESILIENCE, AND OTHER MENTAL HEALTH VARIABLES. INDEPENDENT EVALUATION OF INDIVIDUAL OUTCOME MEASURES REVEALED THAT YOGA PARTICIPANTS SHOWED STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES OVER TIME RELATIVE TO CONTROLS ON MEASURES OF ANGER CONTROL AND FATIGUE/INERTIA. MOST OUTCOME MEASURES EXHIBITED A PATTERN OF WORSENING IN THE CONTROL GROUP OVER TIME, WHEREAS CHANGES IN THE YOGA GROUP OVER TIME WERE EITHER MINIMAL OR SHOWED SLIGHT IMPROVEMENTS. THESE PRELIMINARY RESULTS SUGGEST THAT IMPLEMENTATION OF YOGA IS ACCEPTABLE AND FEASIBLE IN A SECONDARY SCHOOL SETTING AND HAS THE POTENTIAL OF PLAYING A PROTECTIVE OR PREVENTIVE ROLE IN MAINTAINING MENTAL HEALTH. 2012 19 177 36 A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF MINDFULNESS VERSUS YOGA: EFFECTS ON DEPRESSION AND/OR ANXIETY IN COLLEGE STUDENTS. BACKGROUND: DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY DISORDERS ARE TWO OF THE MOST COMMON MENTAL DISORDERS IN THE UNITED STATES. THESE DISORDERS ARE PREVALENT AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS. OBJECTIVE: THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY IS TO COMPARE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF INTERVENTION PRACTICES (MINDFULNESS VS. YOGA) AND A NONINTERVENTIONAL CONTROL GROUP IN MITIGATING THE EFFECTS OF DEPRESSION AND/OR ANXIETY IN COLLEGE STUDENTS. METHOD: A SAMPLE OF 90 STUDENTS (BOTH GENDERS) OVER AGE 18 WHO HAD A DIAGNOSIS OF ANXIETY AND/OR DEPRESSION WAS RECRUITED FROM 11,500 UNDERGRADUATE COLLEGE STUDENTS IN A MID-SIZE UNIVERSITY. THE STUDY'S DESIGN INCLUDED STRATIFIED-RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED REPEATED MEASURES WITH THREE GROUPS: A MINDFULNESS INTERVENTION GROUP, A YOGA-ONLY INTERVENTION GROUP, AND A NONINTERVENTIONAL GROUP. PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO THE AFOREMENTIONED THREE GROUPS. PARTICIPANTS IN THE INTERVENTION GROUPS RECEIVED AN 8-WEEK TRAINING EITHER IN MINDFULNESS OR YOGA. DEPRESSIVE, ANXIETY, STRESS SYMPTOMS, SELF-COMPASSION, AND MINDFULNESS WERE MEASURED AT BASELINE, WEEK 4, WEEK 8, AND WEEK 12. RESULTS: DEPRESSIVE, ANXIETY, AND STRESS SYMPTOMS DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY (P < .01) FROM BASELINE TO FOLLOW-UP CONDITIONS IN BOTH THE MINDFULNESS AND YOGA INTERVENTION GROUPS. THE CHANGES IN MINDFULNESS SCORES WERE ALSO SIGNIFICANT IN BOTH GROUPS. HOWEVER, THE CHANGES IN SELF-COMPASSION SCORES WERE SIGNIFICANT ONLY IN THE MINDFULNESS INTERVENTION GROUP. NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE CONTROL GROUP WERE DEMONSTRATED. CONCLUSIONS: THE FINDINGS FROM THIS STUDY CAN PROVIDE USEFUL INFORMATION TO NURSES AND OTHER HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. THIS STUDY MAY HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR A COST-EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. 2016 20 2274 37 THE ROLE OF YOGA IN TREATING STRESS-RELATED SYMPTOMS IN DENTAL HYGIENE STUDENTS. CONTEXT: RESEARCH HAS PROVIDED EVIDENCE FOR YOGA'S EFFECTIVENESS IN THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF PAIN AND STRESS, BOTH OF WHICH HAVE BEEN IMPLICATED AS SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE MODERATORS OF STUDENT PERFORMANCE AND EXPERIENCE. AIMS: THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE FEASIBILITY AND PRELIMINARY IMPACT OF A 10-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION WITH DENTAL HYGIENE STUDENTS TO REDUCE PERCEPTIONS OF STRESS AND STRESS-RELATED SYMPTOMS. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: STUDENTS SELF-SELECTED INTO A YOGA TREATMENT VERSUS CONTROL CONDITION. THEY COMPLETED STRESS AND PAIN MEASURES AT FOUR TIME POINTS DURING AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION OR CONTROL PERIOD OF 10-WEEKS. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS WERE STUDENTS ENROLLED IN A DENTAL HYGIENE PROGRAM. ALL 77 PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED A 10-WEEK STUDY, SELF-SELECTING INTO AN INTERVENTION OR CONTROL GROUP. THEY COMPLETED THREE SELF-REPORT QUESTIONNAIRES ASSESSING PAIN AND STRESS, ADMINISTERED AT BASELINE, MID-POINT, POSTINTERVENTION, AND TWO FOLLOW-UPS. THE 10-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION CONSISTED OF 10 90-MIN YOGA SESSIONS THAT PROVIDED CHECK-INS, BREATHING EXERCISES, SEQUENCES OF POSTURES, RELAXATION EXERCISES, AND CLOSING MEDITATIONS. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: INDEPENDENT SAMPLES T-TESTS WERE USED TO COMPARE PERCEIVED STRESS LEVELS OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE CONTROL VERSUS TREATMENT GROUPS. PAIRED T-TEST WAS USED TO ASSESS DIFFERENCES IN STRESS-RELATED SYMPTOM LEVELS ACROSS TIME. RESULTS: RESULTS SUGGESTED THAT A YOGA INTERVENTION IS FEASIBLE FOR THIS GROUP AND THAT ACTIVE YOGA PRACTICE CAN LOWER PERCEIVED STRESS ACROSS MULTIPLE DOMAINS AND ACROSS TIME. CONCLUSIONS: A SPECIALLY ADAPTED AND DESIGNED 10-WEEK YOGA PROTOCOL APPEARS TO BE AN ACCESSIBLE OPTION FOR DENTAL HYGIENE PROGRAMS THAT SEEK TO SUPPORT THEIR STUDENTS IN IMPROVING OVERALL WELLBEING. 2020