1 1709 96 PEACEFUL PLAY YOGA: SERENITY AND BALANCE FOR CHILDREN WITH CANCER AND THEIR PARENTS. CHILDREN WITH A CANCER DIAGNOSIS EXPERIENCE SYMPTOM DISTRESS, INCLUDING ANXIETY, BECAUSE OF THE DISEASE AND ITS TREATMENT. PARENTS EXPERIENCE STRESS AND ANXIETY BECAUSE OF THE UNCERTAINTY OF THE DISEASE AS WELL AS THE SUFFERING OF THEIR CHILDREN. YOGA IS A COMPLEMENTARY INTERVENTION THAT HAS PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS IN HEALTHY CHILDREN AND HEALTHY AND CHRONICALLY ILL ADULTS. ON AN INPATIENT HEMATOLOGY/ONCOLOGY UNIT, 11 CHILDREN AGED 6 TO 12 YEARS, 5 ADOLESCENTS AGED 13 TO 18 YEARS, AND 33 PARENTS PARTICIPATED IN A SINGLE YOGA SESSION TAILORED TO THE NEEDS AND ABILITIES OF THE PATIENTS AND PARENTS. SENSE OF WELL-BEING PRE- AND POSTCLASS WAS MEASURED WITH THE SPIELBERGER STATE ANXIETY SCALE. CHILDREN HAD NORMAL ANXIETY SCORES PRECLASS THAT DID NOT CHANGE. ADOLESCENTS AND PARENTS EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN ANXIETY SCORES, AND ALL COHORTS GAVE POSITIVE FEEDBACK ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE. THE AUTHORS CONCLUDE THAT YOGA IS A FEASIBLE INTERVENTION FOR THIS POPULATION AND IS BENEFICIAL TO ADOLESCENTS AND PARENTS. 2010 2 2450 38 YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE THERAPY IN CHILDREN WITH HEMATOLOGIC AND ONCOLOGIC DISEASE. A DIAGNOSIS OF A HEMATOLOGIC OR ONCOLOGIC DISEASE IN A CHILD CAN BE STRESSFUL FOR THE PATIENT AND THE FAMILY. YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION HAS BEEN REPORTED TO DECREASE STRESS IN ADULTS DIAGNOSED WITH CHRONIC DISORDERS BUT FEW STUDIES HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES. A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF PATIENTS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER OR A BLOOD DISORDER (AGES 7-17 YEARS) AND THEIR CAREGIVERS WAS SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN A SINGLE BEDSIDE YOGA CLASS. PARTICIPANTS WERE SURVEYED PRE AND POST YOGA WITH THE SPIELBERGER STATE TRAIT ANXIETY SCALE. CHILDREN WERE ALSO SURVEYED PRE AND POST YOGA WITH THE WONG-BAKER FACES PAIN SCALE. CHILDREN HAD A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN PAIN POST YOGA BUT NO CHANGE IN ANXIETY. ADOLESCENTS AND PARENTS HAD A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN ANXIETY POST YOGA INTERVENTION. 2020 3 1753 34 PILOTING YOGA AND ASSESSING OUTCOMES IN A RESIDENTIAL BEHAVIOURAL HEALTH UNIT. THIS STUDY EXAMINED IF ADOLESCENTS ON A RESIDENTIAL BEHAVIOURAL HEALTH UNIT WOULD PARTICIPATE IN A YOGA INTERVENTION. YOGA HAS BEEN USED AS A MIND-BODY PRACTICE FOR MORE THAN 2000 YEARS; HOWEVER, STUDIES ARE LIMITED REGARDING ITS EFFECTS ON ADOLESCENTS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS ON AN INPATIENT UNIT. YOGA WAS ADDED, TWICE WEEKLY, TO THE PROGRAM SCHEDULE. TRAIT EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE QUESTIONNAIRE-ADOLESCENT SHORT FORM (TEIQUE-ASF) SCORES WERE MEASURED OVER 8 WEEKS. ADDITIONAL MEASURES INCLUDED DAILY NUMBERS OF QUIET TIMES, TIME OUTS, AND POINT CARD SCORES. TWENTY-TWO ADOLESCENTS COMPLETED THE STUDY. THE TEIQUE-ASF ASSESSMENT WAS ABLE TO DETECT CHANGES IN TOTAL SCORES OVER 8 WEEKS. INCREASED YOGA PARTICIPATION WAS RELATED TO HIGHER VALUES OF THE TEIQUE-ASF SUBDOMAIN OF SOCIABILITY, INCREASE IN WEEKLY POINT CARD TOTALS, A DECREASE IN BEHAVIOURAL TIME OUTS, AND A DECREASE IN COMBINED BEHAVIOURAL INTERVENTIONS AT VARIOUS TIME POINTS THROUGHOUT THE PROGRAMME. THIS STUDY WAS RELEVANT BECAUSE IT WAS CONDUCTED ON AN ADOLESCENT INPATIENT UNIT. IT PROVIDES SUPPORT THAT YOGA, AS PART OF A RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMME, IS A FEASIBLE INTERVENTION FOR ADOLESCENTS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS. CHANGES IN THE VARIOUS MEASURES CANNOT BE DIRECTLY LINKED TO YOGA BECAUSE OF LACK OF A COMPARISON GROUP. ADDITIONAL STUDIES WITH A LARGER SAMPLE, AND RANDOMIZATION, ARE NEEDED TO EVALUATE THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF YOGA AND TO DETERMINE IF CHANGES TO THE TEIQUE-ASF CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO YOGA OR OTHER BEHAVIOURAL-BASED INTERVENTIONS. LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT HOW YOGA WILL IMPACT BEHAVIOURAL HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR ADOLESCENTS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS IN AN INPATIENT SETTING. THIS STUDY EXAMINED IF ADOLESCENTS ON A RESIDENTIAL BEHAVIOURAL HEALTH UNIT WOULD PARTICIPATE IN A YOGA INTERVENTION TO ADDRESS EMOTIONAL REGULATION. A SINGLE COHORT STUDY DESIGN WAS USED. YOGA WAS ADDED TO THE PROGRAMME SCHEDULE TWICE WEEKLY. TRAIT EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE QUESTIONNAIRE-ADOLESCENT SHORT FORM (TEIQUE-ASF) SCORES AND ADDITIONAL BEHAVIOURAL MEASURES WERE TRACKED OVER 8 WEEKS. ADOLESCENTS PARTICIPATED IN YOGA, WITH A HIGHER PARTICIPATION RATE FOR GIRLS COMPARED WITH BOYS. THE TEIQUE-ASF ASSESSMENT DETECTED CHANGES IN TOTAL SCORE OVER 8 WEEKS. INCREASED YOGA PARTICIPATION WAS RELATED TO HIGHER VALUES OF THE TEIQUE-ASF SUBDOMAIN OF SOCIABILITY, INCREASE IN WEEKLY POINT CARD TOTALS, AND A DECREASE IN COMBINED BEHAVIOURAL INTERVENTIONS AT VARIOUS TIME POINTS THROUGHOUT THE PROGRAMME. THIS STUDY WAS RELEVANT BECAUSE IT WAS CONDUCTED ON AN ADOLESCENT INPATIENT UNIT. FURTHER STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO DETERMINE IF CHANGES CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO YOGA OR OTHER BEHAVIOURAL-BASED INTERVENTIONS. IF SUPPORTED BY FURTHER STUDIES, YOGA HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE A COMPLIMENTARY THERAPY THAT CAN BE INTEGRATED INTO THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY TREATMENT APPROACH FOR MENTAL HEALTH PATIENTS. 2015 4 115 28 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 5 1512 22 IS THERE MORE TO YOGA THAN EXERCISE? CONTEXT: YOGA IS INCREASING IN POPULARITY, WITH AN ESTIMATED 15 MILLION PRACTITIONERS IN THE UNITED STATES, YET THERE IS A DEARTH OF EMPIRICAL DATA ADDRESSING THE HOLISTIC BENEFITS OF YOGA. OBJECTIVE: TO COMPARE THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL BENEFITS OF AN EXERCISE-BASED YOGA PRACTICE TO THAT OF A MORE COMPREHENSIVE YOGA PRACTICE (ONE WITH AN ETHICAL/SPIRITUAL COMPONENT). DESIGN: STUDENTS WITH MILD TO MODERATE DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, OR STRESS AND WHO AGREED TO PARTICIPATE WERE ASSIGNED TO ONE OF THREE GROUPS: INTEGRATED YOGA, YOGA AS EXERCISE, CONTROL. PARTICIPANTS: A TOTAL OF 81 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS 18 YEARS AND OLDER AT A UNIVERSITY IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, STRESS, HOPE, AND SALIVARY CORTISOL. RESULTS: OVER TIME, PARTICIPANTS IN BOTH THE INTEGRATED AND EXERCISE YOGA GROUPS EXPERIENCED DECREASED DEPRESSION AND STRESS, AN INCREASED SENSE OF HOPEFULNESS, AND INCREASED FLEXIBILITY COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. HOWEVER, ONLY THE INTEGRATED YOGA GROUP EXPERIENCED DECREASED ANXIETY-RELATED SYMPTOMS AND DECREASED SALIVARY CORTISOL FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END OF THE STUDY. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA, PRACTICED IN A MORE INTEGRATED FORM, IE, WITH AN ETHICAL AND SPIRITUAL COMPONENT, MAY PROVIDE ADDITIONAL BENEFITS OVER YOGA PRACTICED AS AN EXERCISE REGIMEN. 2011 6 1164 31 EVALUATING THE EFFECTS OF A YOGA-BASED PROGRAM INTEGRATED WITH THIRD-WAVE COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY COMPONENTS ON SELF-REGULATION IN CHILDREN ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM: A PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. LAY ABSTRACT: CHILDREN ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM MAY EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTIES WITH THE REGULATION OF ATTENTION, THOUGHTS, EMOTIONS, AND BEHAVIOR, UNDERSTANDING, AND EXPRESSING THEIR EMOTIONS APPROPRIATELY, AS WELL AS ANXIETY, AND SLEEP. IN AUTISM RESEARCH, CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICES THAT WORK THROUGH BOTH BODY AND MIND HAVE SHOWN TENTATIVELY PROMISING RESULTS. HOWEVER, THERE ARE LIMITED STUDIES ON THIS TOPIC, AND THE USE OF YOGA TO FACILITATE EXECUTIVE CONTROL HAS NOT BEEN RESEARCHED YET. THE INCREDIBLE EXPLORERS (6-WEEK PROGRAM), A YOGA-INFORMED INTERVENTION PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN (8-12 YEARS), WAS DEVELOPED TO UNDERSTAND WHETHER, FOR CHILDREN ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM, THE TRAINING COULD IMPROVE THE ABILITY TO SELF-REGULATE, REDUCE ANXIETY AND SLEEP PROBLEMS, AND INCREASE AWARENESS OF EMOTIONS. IN OUR SAMPLE, 61 CHILDREN WITH ONE OF THEIR PARENTS COMPLETED THE PROGRAM. HALF OF THE GROUP RECEIVED THE INTERVENTION, AND THE OTHER HALF HAD TO WAIT UNTIL THE YOGA GROUP COMPLETED THEIR TRIAL. THE PARTICIPANTS WERE ASKED TO GIVE THEIR FEEDBACK IMMEDIATELY AFTER PROGRAM COMPLETION AND AT 6-WEEK FOLLOW-UP. COMPARED TO THE GROUP THAT WAS WAITING TO RECEIVE THE INTERVENTION, PARENTS IN THE YOGA GROUP REPORTED SIGNIFICANT GAINS FOR THEIR CHILDREN IN REGULATING THEIR OVERALL EXECUTIVE CONTROL IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SESSION AND AGAIN AT FOLLOW-UP. THE PARENTS REPORTED A REDUCTION IN SOME OF THE SLEEP PROBLEMS POST-TREATMENT. CHILDREN INDICATED AN IMPROVED ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE THEIR FEELINGS AND WILLINGNESS TO ANALYZE THEIR EMOTIONS POST-INTERVENTION. HOWEVER, THE STUDY HAD SEVERAL SHORTCOMINGS AND GIVEN THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST TRIAL OF THE PROGRAM, THE RESULTS NEED TO BE INTERPRETED WITH CAUTION. FURTHER RESEARCH IS RECOMMENDED. 2021 7 893 22 EFFECT OF YOGA-BASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ON PERCEIVED STRESS, ANXIETY, AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN YOUNG ADULTS. PURPOSE: THIS STUDY, CONDUCTED AT A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY IN TURKEY, SOUGHT TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA-BASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ON PERCEIVED STRESS, ANXIETY, AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN YOUNG ADULTS. DESIGN AND METHODS: THIS STUDY WAS PLANNED AS A SEMIEXPERIMENTAL NONRANDOMIZED STUDY WITH A CONTROL GROUP. FINDINGS: YOGA-BASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY DECREASED THE PERCEIVED STRESS AND STATE ANXIETY LEVELS, BUT HAD NO EFFECT ON TRAIT ANXIETY LEVELS AND QUALITY OF LIFE. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOGA-BASED TREATMENT CAN BE INCLUDED IN NURSING INTERVENTIONS FOR REDUCING STRESS AND ANXIETY LEVELS IN YOUNG ADULTS. 2020 8 1701 29 PARTICIPATION IN A YOGA STUDY DECREASES STRESS AND DEPRESSION SCORES FOR INCARCERATED WOMEN. INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS EXHIBIT A HIGH INCIDENCE OF STRESS-RELATED DISORDERS, INCLUDING ADDICTION AND POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD), AS WELL AS THE ADDED STRESS OF CAPTIVITY. ACCESS TO STRESS-REDUCTION TOOLS IS LIMITED FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS. ONE POSSIBLE APPROACH MAY BE REGULAR STRUCTURED YOGA CLASSES. USING TWO APPROACHES, WE TESTED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A BRIEF, INTENSIVE YOGA INTERVENTION IN A POPULATION OF INCARCERATED WOMEN IN A COUNTY JAIL. THE FIRST APPROACH WAS AN EXAMINATION OF ARCHIVAL DATA COLLECTED AS PART OF A PROGRAM ANALYSIS. INDIVIDUALS SHOWED CONSIDERABLE REDUCTION IN SELF-REPORTED STRESS FOLLOWING A SINGLE YOGA SESSION. THE SECOND APPROACH WAS AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY USING A WEEK-LONG YOGA INTERVENTION. THIRTY-FOUR PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSIGNED TO EITHER THE YOGA OR CONTROL GROUP FOR THE FIRST WEEK. IN THE SECOND WEEK, THE CONDITIONS WERE REVERSED. PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSESSED WEEKLY, BEFORE AND AFTER INTERVENTION. BASELINE SCORES REVEALED HIGH RATES OF DEPRESSION, STRESS, AND EXPOSURE TO TRAUMATIC LIFE EVENTS COMPARED TO NORMATIVE DATA. STRESS AND DEPRESSION WERE ASSESSED USING THE PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE AND BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY, RESPECTIVELY. COMPARED TO CONTROLS, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED LESS DEPRESSION AFTER A WEEK OF DAILY YOGA SESSIONS. PERCEIVED STRESS DECLINED UNDER BOTH CONTROL AND YOGA CONDITIONS. DUE TO THE TRANSIENT NATURE OF THE JAIL INSTITUTION, IT IS IMPORTANT TO EXAMINE INTERVENTIONS THAT CAN BE PROVIDED ON A SHORT-TERM BASIS. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE LIMITATIONS IN THIS STUDY, THE RESULTS SUPPORT THE CONCLUSION THAT THE BRIEF YOGA INTERVENTION HAD A POSITIVE EFFECT ON PARTICIPANTS' WELL-BEING. 2021 9 2235 23 THE IMPACT OF YOGA UPON FEMALE PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM HYPOTHYROIDISM. OBJECTIVE: TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF FEMALE HYPOTHYROID PATIENTS. DESIGN: THE WHO QUALITY OF LIFE SCALE(22) WAS USED TO ASSESS THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF 20 FEMALE HYPOTHYROID PATIENTS. SUBJECTS ATTENDED ONE HOUR YOGA SESSIONS DAILY FOR A PERIOD OF ONE MONTH. A PRETEST-POST-TEST RESEARCH DESIGN WAS USED FOR DATA ANALYSIS. RESULTS: PATIENTS' QUALITY OF LIFE SCORES FOLLOWING THE YOGA PROGRAM WERE GREATER THAN SCORES OBTAINED PRIOR TO UNDERTAKING YOGA (P < 0.01). PATIENTS ALSO REPORTED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THEIR PERCEPTION OF THE OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE AND OF THEIR HEALTH POST YOGA INTERVENTION. CONCLUSIONS: IT CAN BE CONCLUDED THAT YOGA IS VALUABLE IN HELPING THE HYPOTHYROID PATIENTS TO MANAGE THEIR DISEASE-RELATED SYMPTOMS. YOGA MAY BE CONSIDERED AS SUPPORTIVE OR COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY IN CONJUNCTION WITH MEDICAL THERAPY FOR THE TREATMENT OF HYPOTHYROID DISORDER. 2011 10 248 30 A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR YOUNG ADULTS WITH ELEVATED SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION. CONTEXT: YOGA TEACHERS AND STUDENTS OFTEN REPORT THAT YOGA HAS AN UPLIFTING EFFECT ON THEIR MOODS, BUT SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON YOGA AND DEPRESSION IS LIMITED. OBJECTIVE: TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF A SHORT-TERM IYENGAR YOGA COURSE ON MOOD IN MILDLY DEPRESSED YOUNG ADULTS. DESIGN: YOUNG ADULTS PRE-SCREENED FOR MILD LEVELS OF DEPRESSION WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A YOGA COURSE OR WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUP. SETTING: COLLEGE CAMPUS RECREATION CENTER. PARTICIPANTS: TWENTY-EIGHT VOLUNTEERS AGES 18 TO 29. AT INTAKE, ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE EXPERIENCING MILD LEVELS OF DEPRESSION, BUT HAD RECEIVED NO CURRENT PSYCHIATRIC DIAGNOSES OR TREATMENTS. NONE HAD SIGNIFICANT YOGA EXPERIENCE. INTERVENTION: SUBJECTS IN THE YOGA GROUP ATTENDED TWO 1-HOUR IYENGAR YOGA CLASSES EACH WEEK FOR 5 CONSECUTIVE WEEKS. THE CLASSES EMPHASIZED YOGA POSTURES THOUGHT TO ALLEVIATE DEPRESSION, PARTICULARLY BACK BENDS, STANDING POSES, AND INVERSIONS. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY, STATE-TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY, PROFILE OF MOOD STATES, MORNING CORTISOL LEVELS. RESULTS: SUBJECTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE YOGA COURSE DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN SELF-REPORTED SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION AND TRAIT ANXIETY. THESE EFFECTS EMERGED BY THE MIDDLE OF THE YOGA COURSE AND WERE MAINTAINED BY THE END. CHANGES ALSO WERE OBSERVED IN ACUTE MOOD, WITH SUBJECTS REPORTING DECREASED LEVELS OF NEGATIVE MOOD AND FATIGUE FOLLOWING YOGA CLASSES. FINALLY, THERE WAS A TREND FOR HIGHER MORNING CORTISOL LEVELS IN THE YOGA GROUP BY THE END OF THE YOGA COURSE, COMPARED TO CONTROLS. THESE FINDINGS PROVIDE SUGGESTIVE EVIDENCE OF THE UTILITY OF YOGA ASANAS IN IMPROVING MOOD AND SUPPORT THE NEED FOR FUTURE STUDIES WITH LARGER SAMPLES AND MORE COMPLEX STUDY DESIGNS TO MORE FULLY EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MOOD DISTURBANCES. 2004 11 1884 21 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 12 1700 27 PARTICIPATION IN A 10-WEEK COURSE OF YOGA IMPROVES BEHAVIOURAL CONTROL AND DECREASES PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS IN A PRISON POPULATION. BACKGROUND: YOGA AND MEDITATION HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO BE EFFECTIVE IN ALLEVIATING SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY IN HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS AND PSYCHIATRIC POPULATIONS. RECENT WORK HAS ALSO INDICATED THAT YOGA CAN IMPROVE COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOURAL PERFORMANCE AND CONTROL. ALTHOUGH THERE HAVE BEEN NO CONTROLLED STUDIES OF THE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN A PRISON POPULATION, WE REASONED THAT YOGA COULD HAVE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS IN A SETTING WHERE PSYCHOSOCIAL FUNCTIONING IS OFTEN LOW, AND THE FREQUENCY OF IMPULSIVE BEHAVIOURS IS HIGH. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS WERE RECRUITED FROM 7 BRITISH PRISONS AND RANDOMLY ALLOCATED TO EITHER A 10-WEEK YOGA PROGRAMME (YOGA GROUP; 1 CLASS PER WEEK; N = 45) OR A CONTROL GROUP (N = 55). SELF-REPORT MEASURES OF MOOD, STRESS, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS WERE COLLECTED BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION PERIOD. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED A COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOURAL TASK (GO/NO-GO) AT THE END OF THE STUDY, WHICH ASSESSED BEHAVIOURAL RESPONSE INHIBITION AND SUSTAINED ATTENTION. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED INCREASED SELF-REPORTED POSITIVE AFFECT, AND REDUCED STRESS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, COMPARED TO PARTICIPANTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP. PARTICIPANTS WHO COMPLETED THE YOGA COURSE ALSO SHOWED BETTER PERFORMANCE IN THE COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOURAL TASK, MAKING SIGNIFICANTLY FEWER ERRORS OF OMISSION IN GO TRIALS AND FEWER ERRORS OF COMMISSION ON NO-GO TRIALS, COMPARED TO CONTROL PARTICIPANTS. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING SUBJECTIVE WELLBEING, MENTAL HEALTH, AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING WITHIN PRISON POPULATIONS. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION GIVEN THE CONSISTENTLY HIGH RATES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL MORBIDITY IN THIS GROUP AND THE NEED FOR EFFECTIVE AND ECONOMICAL INTERVENTION PROGRAMMES. 2013 13 2848 31 YOGA, MEDITATION AND MINDFULNESS IN PEDIATRIC ONCOLOGY - A REVIEW OF LITERATURE. PURPOSE: CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS UNDERGOING TREATMENT FOR CANCER ARE EXPOSED TO A WIDE VARIETY OF STRESSORS BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL. NOT ONLY ADULTS BUT ALSO CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS INCREASINGLY PRACTICE YOGA IN A HEALTH-PROMOTING MANNER AND TO COPE WITH STRESSFUL SITUATIONS. METHODS: A REVIEW OF LITERATURE WAS CONDUCTED TO PRESENT THE CURRENT OUTCOMES ON YOGA, MEDITATION AND MINDFULNESS FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WHO ARE AFFECTED BY AN ONCOLOGICAL DISEASE. RESULTS: EIGHT STUDIES WERE IDENTIFIED THAT EXAMINED YOGA TREATMENT FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH ONCOLOGICAL DISEASES. THREE STUDIES WERE FOUND ON MINDFULNESS IN PEDIATRIC ONCOLOGY. THE STUDIES SUMMARIZED HERE SUGGEST THAT YOGA AND MINDFULNESS COULD HELP TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE, REDUCE FATIGUE, IMPROVE ACTIVITY AND FITNESS LEVELS, IMPROVE SLEEP QUALITY, INCREASE APPETITE AND DECREASE ANXIETY IN VARIOUS STAGES OF THE DISEASE AND ITS TREATMENT. THE REVIEWED STUDIES SHOWED THAT YOGA AND MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTIONS FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH ONCOLOGICAL ILLNESSES ARE FEASIBLE IN DIFFERENT SETTINGS AND ARE WELL RECEIVED. CONCLUSIONS: THE RESULTS OF THE STUDIES SUGGEST THAT YOGA AND MINDFULNESS MAY HELP TO SUPPORT CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS DURING AND AFTER ONCOLOGICAL TREATMENT. BASED ON THE CURRENT BODY OF EVIDENCE IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO DRAW CONCLUSIONS ABOUT THE EFFICACY OF YOGA AND MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTIONS IN PEDIATRIC ONCOLOGY PATIENTS. RESEARCH MUST MEET THIS CHALLENGE TO DEVELOP SUITABLE DESIGNS TO FURTHER AND BETTER INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA AND MINDFULNESS IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH ONCOLOGICAL DISEASES. 2021 14 2673 28 YOGA IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE: A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY TO ACCESS THE EFFECTS ON QUALITY OF LIFE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS. BACKGROUND: AND PURPOSE: YOGA IS GROWING IN POPULARITY, BUT ITS BENEFITS AND INTEGRATION INTO PRIMARY CARE REMAIN UNCERTAIN. HERE, WE DETERMINE YOGA EFFECTS ON QUALITY OF LIFE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, AND EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY OF INTRODUCING YOGA AT PRIMARY CARE LEVEL. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIS IS A PROSPECTIVE, LONGITUDINAL, QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY, WITH AN INTERVENTION (N=49) AND A CONTROL GROUP (N=37). YOGA GROUP UNDERWENT 24-WEEKS PROGRAM OF ONE-HOUR SESSIONS. OUR PRIMARY ENDPOINT WAS QUALITY OF LIFE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, AS WELL AS SATISFACTION LEVEL AND ADHERENCE RATE. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS REPORTED A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN ALL DOMAINS OF QUALITY OF LIFE AND A REDUCTION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS. LINEAR REGRESSION ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT YOGA SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVES PSYCHOLOGICAL QUALITY OF LIFE (P=0.046). CONCLUSION: YOGA IN PRIMARY CARE IS FEASIBLE, SAFE AND HAS A SATISFACTORY ADHERENCE, AS WELL AS A POSITIVE EFFECT ON PSYCHOLOGICAL QUALITY OF LIFE OF PARTICIPANTS. 2019 15 719 30 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 16 160 24 A RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL COMPARING THE IMPACT OF YOGA AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION ON THE EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIOURAL FUNCTIONING OF MIDDLE SCHOOL CHILDREN. BACKGROUND: YOGA PROGRAMS GEARED FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN HAVE BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD, BUT RESEARCH REGARDING ITS IMPACT ON CHILDREN IS LACKING. SEVERAL STUDIES HAVE REPORTED POSITIVE OUTCOMES, THOUGH THERE IS A NEED FOR MORE RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIALS. OBJECTIVES: TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON CHILDREN'S EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIOURAL FUNCTIONING WHEN COMPARED WITH PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE) CLASSES. METHODS: THIRTY MIDDLE SCHOOL CHILDREN WERE RANDOMISED TO PARTICIPATE IN EITHER A SCHOOL-BASED ASHTANGA-INFORMED YOGA OR PE CLASS THREE TIMES A WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS. EMOTIONAL (I.E. AFFECT, SELF-PERCEPTIONS) AND BEHAVIOURAL (I.E. INTERNALISING AND EXTERNALISING PROBLEMS, AGGRESSION) FUNCTIONING WERE MEASURED PRE AND POST-INTERVENTION. RESULTS: THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES BETWEEN GROUPS IN SELF-REPORTED POSITIVE AFFECT, GLOBAL SELF-WORTH, AGGRESSION INDICES OR PARENT REPORTS OF THEIR CHILDREN'S EXTERNALISING AND INTERNALISING PROBLEMS. HOWEVER, NEGATIVE AFFECT INCREASED FOR THOSE CHILDREN PARTICIPATING IN YOGA WHEN COMPARED TO THE PE PROGRAM. CONCLUSIONS: IN GENERAL, FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA AND PE CLASSES DO NOT DIFFERENTIALLY IMPACT ON MIDDLE SCHOOL CHILDREN'S EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIOURAL FUNCTIONING. HOWEVER, CHILDREN REPORTED EXPERIENCING INCREASED NEGATIVE EMOTIONS AFTER RECEIVING YOGA WHILE CHILDREN IN THE PE GROUP REPORTED A DECREASE IN THESE FEELINGS. IMPLICATIONS OF THESE RESULTS AND POTENTIAL DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH ON CHILDREN'S YOGA ARE DISCUSSED. 2014 17 85 28 A MINDFUL YOGA INTERVENTION FOR CHILDREN WITH SEVERE ASTHMA: A PILOT STUDY. INTRODUCTION: CHILDREN WITH SEVERE ASTHMA MAY BENEFIT FROM NON-PHARMACOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT, YET LITTLE IS KNOWN REGARDING THE IMPACT OF MIND-BODY APPROACHES SUCH AS MINDFUL YOGA IN THIS POPULATION. THIS PILOT STUDY EXAMINED THE TOLERABILITY, FEASIBILITY, ACCEPTABILITY AND IMMEDIATE EFFECTS OF A MINDFUL YOGA INTERVENTION IN CHILDREN WITH SEVERE ASTHMA. METHOD: FIFTEEN CHILDREN AGES 7-11 WITH SEVERE ASTHMA PARTICIPATED IN A SINGLE MINDFUL YOGA SESSION, FOLLOWED BY SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS WITH THE CHILD AND CAREGIVER. VITAL SIGNS AND PULMONARY FUNCTION TESTS WERE COLLECTED PRE- AND POST-INTERVENTION. RESULTS: ALL CHILDREN REPORTED POSITIVE EXPERIENCES AND CAREGIVERS WERE GENERALLY SUPPORTIVE OF THEIR PARTICIPATION. ONE CHILD EXPERIENCED SELF-LIMITED BRONCHOCONSTRICTION WITH ASTHMA SYMPTOMS. THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN LUNG FUNCTION OR VITAL SIGNS AFTER THE MINDFUL YOGA SESSION. DISCUSSION: OUR RESULTS WARRANT ADDITIONAL LARGER STUDIES TO EVALUATE THE SAFETY AND BENEFITS OF MINDFUL YOGA IN CHILDREN WITH SEVERE ASTHMA. 2020 18 2062 22 THE BENEFITS OF YOGA IN THE CLASSROOM: A MIXED-METHODS APPROACH TO THE EFFECTS OF POSES AND BREATHING AND RELAXATION TECHNIQUES. BACKGROUND: DISADVANTAGED YOUTH IN THE UNITED STATES ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY LIKELY TO BE MORE SEDENTARY AND OBESE AND EXPERIENCE MORE STRESS THAN THEIR COUNTERPARTS WITH HIGHER SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS. YOGA AND BREATHING AND RELAXATION TECHNIQUES HAVE POSITIVE EFFECTS ON STRESS LEVELS, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVELS, AND BEHAVIOR OF SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN. AIMS: USING SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEORY TO EXAMINE BEHAVIORAL, PERSONAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS, THE PURPOSE OF THIS PILOT STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE MULTILEVEL INFLUENCES OF A YOGA-BASED CLASSROOM INTERVENTION ON URBAN YOUTH. METHODS: USING A MIXED METHODOLOGICAL QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN, THIS PILOT STUDY INCLUDED THE THIRD GRADE STUDENTS (N = 40) AT ONE URBAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. A SURVEY CONTAINED STRESS, YOGA BEHAVIOR, AND AGGRESSION SCALES. IN ADDITION, INDIVIDUAL STUDENT INTERVIEWS, A TEACHER INTERVIEW, AND CLASSROOM OBSERVATIONS WERE CONDUCTED. RESULTS: PAIRED AND INDEPENDENT SAMPLE T-TESTS SHOWED PRE/POST DIFFERENCES IN YOGA PARTICIPATION BOTH IN AND OUT OF SCHOOL FOR THE INTERVENTION PARTICIPANTS (P < 0.01). QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS REVEALED THREE MAIN THEMES: (1) INCREASED USE AND ENJOYMENT OF YOGA TECHNIQUES, (2) BEHAVIORAL CHANGES BOTH IN/OUT OF SCHOOL, AND (3) IMPACT ON PERSONAL FACTORS. CONCLUSIONS: FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT URBAN CLASSROOMS SHOULD INCLUDE YOGA AND MINDFULNESS TRAINING AS IT CONTRIBUTES TO DAILY STUDENT PA AND ALSO CAN BE STRESS RELIEVING, FUN, CALMING, AND EASY TO PERFORM OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL. 2020 19 1684 31 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 20 2352 24 USING YOGA TO REDUCE ANXIETY IN CHILDREN: EXPLORING SCHOOL-BASED YOGA AMONG RURAL THIRD- AND FOURTH-GRADE STUDENTS. INTRODUCTION: ANXIETY IS BECOMING MORE COMMON IN CHILDREN AND CAN NEGATIVELY AFFECT SOCIAL AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXPLORE THE IMPACT OF 10 MIN OF YOGA ON ANXIETY IN THIRD- AND FOURTH-GRADERS OVER 8 WEEKS. METHOD: PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED 10 MIN OF YOGA DAILY DURING THE SCHOOL WEEK. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THE SCREEN FOR CHILD ANXIETY RELATED EMOTIONAL DISORDERS ANXIETY SCREENING TOOL AT THE BEGINNING AND AFTER THE PROGRAM. RESULTS: PAIRED SAMPLE T TEST NOTED A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRETEST AND POSTTEST RAW SCORES IN THE CATEGORY OF GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER. ON AVERAGE, PARTICIPANTS HAD SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED RAW ANXIETY SCORES AFTER COMPLETING THE PROGRAM (MEAN=-0.0308), T(60)=-3.137, P < .05. DISCUSSION: THIS STUDY DEMONSTRATES THAT YOGA PRACTICED AS LITTLE AS 10 MIN A DAY OVER 8 WEEKS CAN HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON DECREASING ANXIETY IN CHILDREN AGED 8-10 YEARS. 2021