1 1792 135 PRENATAL YOGA AND MENTAL HEALTH DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A RANDOMIZED-CONTROL TRIAL. STUDIES HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT NEW AND EXPECTANT MOTHERS EXPERIENCE INCREASED LEVELS OF STRESS AND ANXIETY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. THOUGH PRENATAL YOGA IS AN EFFECTIVE MODE OF IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH DURING PREGNANCY, NO RESEARCH HAS EVALUATED ITS EFFECT ON MENTAL HEALTH DURING TIMES OF EXTREME STRESS, SUCH AS A GLOBAL PANDEMIC. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE INFLUENCE OF A SINGLE SESSION AND A 10-WEEK PRENATAL YOGA INTERVENTION ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF PREGNANT WOMEN DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. WOMEN (N = 19; 28.52 +/- 3.74 YEARS; 20.94 +/- 4.69 WEEKS GESTATION; BMI 29.33 +/- 9.08) WERE RANDOMIZED INTO A YOGA OR A NON-YOGA CONTROL GROUP. THERE WERE NO DIFFERENCES IN DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS OR DEPRESSION/ANXIETY SCORES BETWEEN GROUPS AT BASELINE. BASELINE LEVELS OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION WERE HIGH, WITH AN AVERAGE DEPRESSION SCORE OF 8.10 +/- 4.85 (SCORES > 8 REPRESENT POSSIBLE DEPRESSION) AND AN AVERAGE ANXIETY SCORE OF 39.26 +/- 12.99 (SCORES >/= 39 REPRESENT A CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT ANXIETY). AFTER JUST ONE SESSION OF YOGA, WOMEN REPORTED FEELING LESS DEPRESSED (P = 0.028), TENSE (P < 0.001), AND FATIGUED (P = 0.004). AFTER 10 WEEKS, THE YOGA GROUP HAD LOWER ANXIETY (P = 0.002), DEPRESSION (P = 0.032), AND TOTAL MOOD DISTURBANCE (P = 0.002) SCORES WHEN COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. YOGA APPEARS TO BENEFIT THE MENTAL HEALTH OF EXPECTANT MOTHERS, EVEN IN TIMES OF EXTREME STRESS. THE FINDINGS OF THIS STUDY PROVIDE CLINICIANS WITH VALUABLE INFORMATION REGARDING ALTERNATIVE EXERCISE OPTIONS FOR MENTAL HEALTH DURING PREGNANCY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. 2021 2 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 3 841 33 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 4 657 30 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 5 1046 46 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 6 2089 32 THE EFFECT OF PRENATAL HATHA YOGA ON AFFECT, CORTISOL AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS. PERINATAL DEPRESSION IMPACTS MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH, AND LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT EFFECTIVE INTERVENTIONS. THE EFFECTS OF PRENATAL HATHA YOGA ON CORTISOL, AFFECT AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS WERE INVESTIGATED IN 51 WOMEN. TWICE DURING PREGNANCY, YOGA GROUP PARTICIPANTS REPORTED ON AFFECT AND PROVIDED A SALIVA SAMPLE BEFORE AND AFTER A 90-MIN PRENATAL HATHA YOGA SESSION. CORRESPONDING MEASURES WERE OBTAINED FROM YOGA AND CONTROL GROUP PARTICIPANTS ON DAYS OF USUAL ACTIVITY. DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS WERE ASSESSED IN PREGNANCY AND POST PARTUM. CORTISOL WAS LOWER (P < .01) AND POSITIVE AFFECT HIGHER (P < .001) ON YOGA COMPARED TO USUAL ACTIVITY DAYS. NEGATIVE AFFECT AND CONTENTMENT (P < .05) IMPROVED MORE IN RESPONSE TO THE YOGA SESSION. YOGA GROUP PARTICIPANTS SHOWED FEWER POSTPARTUM (P < .05) BUT NOT ANTEPARTUM DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS THAN CONTROL GROUP PARTICIPANTS. FINDINGS INDICATE THAT PRENATAL HATHA YOGA MAY IMPROVE CURRENT MOOD AND MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING POSTPARTUM DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS. 2014 7 719 39 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 8 2444 36 YOGA AND SOCIAL SUPPORT REDUCE PRENATAL DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND CORTISOL. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO COMPARE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA (PHYSICAL ACTIVITY) VERSUS SOCIAL SUPPORT (VERBAL ACTIVITY) ON PRENATAL AND POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION. NINETY-TWO PRENATALLY DEPRESSED WOMEN WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A YOGA OR A SOCIAL SUPPORT CONTROL GROUP AT 22 WEEKS GESTATION. THE YOGA GROUP PARTICIPATED IN A 20-MIN GROUP SESSION (ONLY PHYSICAL POSES) ONCE PER WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS. THE SOCIAL SUPPORT GROUP (A LEADERLESS DISCUSSION GROUP) MET ON THE SAME SCHEDULE. AT THE END OF THE FIRST AND LAST SESSIONS THE YOGA GROUP REPORTED LESS DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, ANGER, BACK AND LEG PAIN AS COMPARED TO THE SOCIAL SUPPORT GROUP. AT THE END OF THE LAST SESSION THE YOGA GROUP AND THE SUPPORT GROUP DID NOT DIFFER. THEY BOTH HAD LOWER DEPRESSION (CES-D), ANXIETY (STAI), AND ANGER (STAXI) SCORES AND IMPROVED RELATIONSHIP SCORES. IN ADDITION, CORTISOL LEVELS DECREASED FOR BOTH GROUPS FOLLOWING EACH SESSION. ESTRIOL AND PROGESTERONE LEVELS DECREASED AFTER THE LAST SESSION. AT THE POSTPARTUM FOLLOW-UP ASSESSMENT DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY LEVELS WERE LOWER FOR BOTH GROUPS. 2013 9 1627 42 MINDFULNESS YOGA DURING PREGNANCY FOR PSYCHIATRICALLY AT-RISK WOMEN: PRELIMINARY RESULTS FROM A PILOT FEASIBILITY STUDY. PRENATAL PSYCHOPATHOLOGY MAY HAVE AN ADVERSE IMPACT ON MOTHER AND BABY, BUT FEW WOMEN RECEIVE TREATMENT. WE OFFERED A 10-WEEK MINDFULNESS YOGA (M-YOGA) INTERVENTION TO PSYCHIATRICALLY HIGH-RISK PREGNANT WOMEN AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT. PARTICIPANTS (N = 18) WERE PRIMIPAROUS, 12-26 WEEKS PREGNANT, AND HAD ELEVATED SCORES (>9) ON THE EDINBURGH POSTNATAL DEPRESSION SCREEN AT BASELINE. IN ADDITION TO A BASELINE DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENT, WOMEN COMPLETED SELF-RATINGS ON DEPRESSION, MINDFULNESS, AND MATERNAL-FETAL ATTACHMENT BEFORE AND AFTER M-YOGA. FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT M-YOGA WAS FEASIBLE, ACCEPTED AND EFFECTIVE. SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION WERE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED (P = 0.025), WHILE MINDFULNESS (P = 0.007) AND MATERNAL-FETAL ATTACHMENT (P = 0.000) SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED. OVERALL, THIS PILOT STUDY IS THE FIRST TO DEMONSTRATE THAT M-YOGA MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE TREATMENT ALTERNATIVE OR AUGMENTATION TO PHARMACOTHERAPY FOR PREGNANT WOMEN AT HIGH RISK FOR PSYCHOPATHOLOGY. 2012 10 935 28 EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA TRAINING PROGRAMS TO REDUCE DEPRESSION AND IMPROVE RESILIENCE OF SINGLE MOTHERS. SINGLE MOTHERS ARE VULNERABLE TO MENTAL HEALTH SUCH AS DEPRESSION, BUT EMOTIONAL SUPPORT IS INSUFFICIENT. YOGA IS KNOWN TO BE EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING NEGATIVE EMOTIONS AND PROMOTING RESILIENCE. THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED IN ORDER TO VERIFY THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA TRAINING PROGRAMS IN REDUCING DEPRESSION AND IMPROVING THE RESILIENCE OF SINGLE MOTHERS. PARTICIPANTS IN THE STUDY INCLUDED 20 SINGLE MOTHERS WHO BELONGED TO THE SINGLE MOTHERS ASSOCIATION, WHO WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO TRAINING (N=10) AND NONTRAINING (N=10) GROUPS. THE YOGA TRAINING PROGRAM FOR SINGLE MOTHERS CONSISTED OF ASANA YOGA, MEDITATION, AND MIND EXPRESSION THROUGH EXPERT MEETINGS; A TOTAL OF EIGHT SESSIONS WERE CONDUCTED ONCE A WEEK FOR 120 MIN. TESTING FOR DEPRESSION AND RESILIENCE WAS PERFORMED BEFORE AND AFTER THE PROGRAM IN ORDER TO VERIFY THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROGRAM. ACCORDING TO THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY, DEPRESSION IN SINGLE MOTHERS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE YOGA TRAINING PROGRAM WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED, AND RESILIENCE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED. THEREFORE, THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE YOGA TRAINING PROGRAM IN LOWERING THE DEPRESSION OF SINGLE MOTHERS AND IMPROVING RESILIENCE WAS CONFIRMED. IN THE FUTURE CONDUCT OF MANY STUDIES WILL BE REQUIRED IN ORDER TO HELP THE MENTAL HEALTH OF SINGLE MOTHERS. 2022 11 1364 37 IMPACT OF 10-MIN DAILY YOGA EXERCISES ON PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DISCOMFORT OF HOME-OFFICE WORKERS DURING COVID-19. OBJECTIVE: EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF 10 MIN/DAY OF YOGA FOR 1 MONTH ON MUSCULOSKELETAL DISCOMFORT AND MOOD DISTURBANCE OF HOME-OFFICE WORKERS. BACKGROUND: THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC FORCED MANY PEOPLE TO SWITCH TO TELEWORKING. THE ABRUPT CHANGE FROM AN OFFICE SETTING TO AN IMPROVISED HOME-OFFICE MAY NEGATIVELY AFFECT THE MUSCULOSKELETAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH OF WORKERS. BY PROVIDING MENTAL AND PHYSICAL EXERCISES, YOGA MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING ADVERSE EFFECTS. METHOD: FIFTY-FOUR PARTICIPANTS (42 WOMEN, 12 MEN) FOLLOWED A 1-MONTH YOGA PROGRAM, WHILE 40 PARTICIPANTS (26 WOMEN, 14 MEN) CONTINUED WITH THEIR COMMON WORK ROUTINE. THE CORNELL MUSCULOSKELETAL DISCOMFORT QUESTIONNAIRE WAS USED TO EVALUATE SEVERITY, INTERFERENCE WITH WORK AND FREQUENCY OF PAIN, AND TO OBTAIN A TOTAL DISCOMFORT SCORE FOR 25 BODY AREAS. MOOD DISTURBANCE WAS EVALUATED WITH THE PROFILE OF MOOD STATES QUESTIONNAIRE. BOTH GROUPS COMPLETED BOTH QUESTIONNAIRES, BEFORE AND AFTER THE EXPERIMENTATION PERIOD. RESULTS: AFTER 1 MONTH, FOR THE YOGA GROUP ONLY, SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS WERE OBSERVED IN THE DISCOMFORT OF EYES, HEAD, NECK, UPPER AND LOWER BACK, RIGHT WRIST, AND HIPS/BUTTOCKS, AS WELL AS REDUCTIONS IN DISCOMFORT SEVERITY, FREQUENCY AND INTERFERENCE FOR THE NECK, UPPER AND LOWER BACK. TOTAL MOOD DISTURBANCE WAS ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED FOR THE YOGA GROUP ONLY. NO FAVORABLE CHANGES OCCURRED FOR THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: THE YOGA INTERVENTION PROGRAM APPEARS TO REDUCE MUSCULOSKELETAL DISCOMFORT AND MOOD DISTURBANCE OF HOME-OFFICE WORKERS. APPLICATION: SEDENTARY WORKERS MAY BENEFIT FROM 10 MIN/DAY OF YOGA DURING THE WORKDAY TO ATTENUATE POTENTIAL PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL DISCOMFORT DURING THE CURRENT PANDEMIC AND BEYOND. 2021 12 1056 38 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY OF WOMEN. UNLABELLED: YOGA HAS OFTEN BEEN PERCEIVED AS A METHOD OF STRESS MANAGEMENT TOOL THAT CAN ASSIST IN ALLEVIATING DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY DISORDERS. THIS STUDY SOUGHT TO EVALUATE THE INFLUENCE OF YOGA IN RELIEVING SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY IN WOMEN WHO WERE REFERRED TO A YOGA CLINIC. METHODS: THE STUDY INVOLVED A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF WOMEN WHO WERE REFERRED TO A YOGA CLINIC FROM JULY 2006 TO JULY 2007. ALL NEW CASES WERE EVALUATED ON ADMISSION USING A PERSONAL INFORMATION QUESTIONNAIRE WELL AS BECK AND SPIELBERGER TESTS. PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED INTO AN EXPERIMENTAL AND A CONTROL GROUP. THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP (N=34) PARTICIPATED IN TWICE WEEKLY YOGA CLASSES OF 90 MIN DURATION FOR TWO MONTHS. THE CONTROL GROUP (N=31) WAS ASSIGNED TO A WAITING LIST AND DID NOT RECEIVE YOGA. BOTH GROUPS WERE EVALUATED AGAIN AFTER THE TWO-MONTH STUDY PERIOD. RESULTS: THE AVERAGE PREVALENCE OF DEPRESSION IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP PRE AND POST YOGA INTERVENTION WAS 12.82+/-7.9 AND 10.79+/-6.04 RESPECTIVELY, A STATISTICALLY INSIGNIFICANT DECREASE (P=0.13). HOWEVER, WHEN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP WAS COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP, WOMEN WHO PARTICIPATED IN YOGA CLASSES SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN STATE ANXIETY (P=0.03) AND TRAIT ANXIETY (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: PARTICIPATION IN A TWO-MONTH YOGA CLASS CAN LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN PERCEIVED LEVELS OF ANXIETY IN WOMEN WHO SUFFER FROM ANXIETY DISORDERS. THIS STUDY SUGGESTS THAT YOGA CAN BE CONSIDERED AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY OR AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD FOR MEDICAL THERAPY IN THE TREATMENT OF ANXIETY DISORDERS. 2009 13 1086 39 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 14 2227 42 THE IMPACT OF YOGA NIDRA AND SEATED MEDITATION ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF COLLEGE PROFESSORS. BACKGROUND: WORLD STATISTICS FOR THE PREVALENCE OF ANXIETY AND MOOD DISORDERS SHOWS THAT A GREAT NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS WILL EXPERIENCE SOME TYPE OF ANXIETY OR MOOD DISORDER AT SOME POINT IN THEIR LIFETIME. MIND-BODY INTERVENTIONS SUCH AS HATHA YOGA AND SEATED MEDITATION HAVE BEEN USED AS A FORM OF SELF-HELP THERAPY AND IT IS ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR CHALLENGING OCCUPATIONS SUCH AS TEACHERS AND PROFESSORS. AIMS: IN THIS INVESTIGATION, WE AIMED AT OBSERVING THE IMPACT OF YOGA NIDRA AND SEATED MEDITATION ON THE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION LEVELS OF COLLEGE PROFESSORS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: SIXTY COLLEGE PROFESSORS, MEN AND WOMEN, AGED BETWEEN 30 AND 55 YEARS WERE RANDOMLY ALLOCATED IN ONE OF THE THREE EXPERIMENTAL GROUPS: YOGA NIDRA, SEATED MEDITATION, AND CONTROL GROUP. PROFESSORS WERE EVALUATED TWO TIMES THROUGHOUT THE 3-MONTH STUDY PERIOD. PSYCHOLOGICAL VARIABLES INCLUDED ANXIETY, STRESS, AND DEPRESSION. RESULTS: DATA ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT THE RELAXATION GROUP PRESENTED BETTER INTRAGROUP RESULTS IN THE ANXIETY LEVELS. MEDITATION GROUP PRESENTED BETTER INTRAGROUP RESULTS ONLY IN THE ANXIETY VARIABLE (PHYSICAL COMPONENT). INTERGROUP ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT, EXCEPT FOR THE DEPRESSION LEVELS, BOTH INTERVENTION GROUPS PRESENTED BETTER RESULTS THAN THE CONTROL GROUP IN ALL OTHER VARIABLES. CONCLUSIONS: PREPOST RESULTS INDICATE THAT BOTH INTERVENTIONS REPRESENT AN EFFECTIVE THERAPEUTIC APPROACH IN REDUCING ANXIETY AND STRESS LEVELS. HOWEVER, THERE WAS A TENDENCY TOWARD A GREATER EFFECTIVENESS OF THE YOGA NIDRA INTERVENTION REGARDING ANXIETY, WHICH MIGHT REPRESENT AN EFFECTIVE TOOL IN REDUCING BOTH COGNITIVE AND PHYSIOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY. 2018 15 2103 31 THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON FUNCTIONAL RECOVERY LEVEL IN SCHIZOPHRENIC PATIENTS. PURPOSE: THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY IS TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON FUNCTIONAL RECOVERY LEVEL IN SCHIZOPHRENIC PATIENTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED IN QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN WITH PRETEST-POSTTEST CONTROL GROUP. THE POPULATION OF THE STUDY CONSISTED OF SCHIZOPHRENIC PATIENTS WITH REGISTERED IN MALATYA AND ELAZIG COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTERS AND REGULARLY GOING TO THESE CENTERS. THE SAMPLE GROUP OF THE STUDY CONSISTED OF TOTALLY 100 PATIENTS INCLUDING 50 PATIENTS IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP AND 50 PATIENTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP WHO WERE SPECIFIED THROUGH POWER ANALYSIS AND CHOSEN BY USING RANDOM SAMPLING METHOD FROM THIS POPULATION. THE DATA WERE COLLECTED BETWEEN APRIL 2015 AND AUGUST 2015. 'PATIENT DESCRIPTION FORM' AND 'FROGS' WERE USED TO COLLECT THE DATA. YOGA WAS APPLIED TO PATIENTS IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP. ANY INTERVENTION WAS NOT MADE TO PATIENTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP. PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION, ARITHMETIC MEAN, STANDARD DEVIATION, CHI-SQUARE, INDEPENDENT SAMPLES T TEST, AND PAIRED T TEST WERE USED TO ASSESS THE DATA. RESULTS: PATIENTS IN THE CONTROL AND EXPERIMENTAL GROUP PRETEST SUBSCALE AND THE TOTAL MEANS SCORES OF FROGS WAS FOUND TO BE LOW. IN THE POSTTEST SUBSCALE AND TOTAL MEANS SCORES OF FROGS IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP WERE HIGHER THAN IN THE CONTROL GROUP AND THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THEM WERE FOUND TO BE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (P<0.05). IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP PRETEST AND POSTTEST SUBSCALE AND TOTAL MEANS SCORES OF FR0GS WAS DETERMINED TO BE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: YOGA THAT APPLIED TO SCHIZOPHRENIC PATIENTS IT WAS DETERMINED TO INCREASED THE LEVEL OF FUNCTIONAL RECOVERY. IT CAN BE SUGGESTED THAT YOGA SHOULD BE USED AS AN COMPLEMENTARY METHOD IN NURSING PRACTISE IN ORDER TO INCREASE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE TREATMENT. 2016 16 1442 33 INCREASED MENTAL WELL-BEING AND REDUCED STATE ANXIETY IN TEACHERS AFTER PARTICIPATION IN A RESIDENTIAL YOGA PROGRAM. BACKGROUND REDUCING STRESS IN THE WORKPLACE IMPROVES MENTAL HEALTH. TEACHING IS OF SOCIAL IMPORTANCE, BUT IT MAY RECEIVE INADEQUATE RECOGNITION AND REWARDS. THE PRESENT STUDY COMPARED MENTAL WELL-BEING AND STATE ANXIETY IN PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS WHO PRACTICED 15 DAYS OF YOGA IN A RESIDENTIAL SETTING WITH THOSE WHO CONTINUED THEIR USUAL ROUTINE. MATERIAL AND METHODS WE ENROLLED 236 PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STUDY. WE ASSIGNED 118 PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS (GROUP MEAN +/-S.D., AGE 41.5+/-6.0 YEARS, 74 FEMALES) TO THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP; THEY UNDERWENT 15 DAYS OF YOGA TRAINING FOR 6 HOURS/DAY) IN A RESIDENTIAL YOGA CENTER. THE NON-YOGA CONTROL GROUP (GROUP MEAN +/-S.D., AGE 42.3+/-6.0 YEARS, 79 FEMALES) CONSISTED OF 118 TEACHERS WHO CONTINUED WITH THEIR NORMAL TEACHING ROUTINE. RESULTS AFTER 15 DAYS IN THE RESIDENTIAL YOGA PROGRAM, THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN OVERALL MENTAL WELL-BEING (P<.001) AND LOWER STATE ANXIETY (P<.01) (REPEATED-MEASURES ANOVA, FOLLOWED BY POST HOC MULTIPLE COMPARISON TESTS). AT BASELINE, THE NON-YOGA CONTROL GROUP HAD HIGHER LEVELS OF STATE ANXIETY, PRESUMABLY RELATED TO THEIR REMAINING IN THE WORKPLACE. CONCLUSIONS THE STUDY WAS A 15-DAY, COMPARATIVE, CONTROLLED TRIAL. THE RESULTS SHOW THAT AFTER 15 DAYS OF PARTICIPATION IN THE RESIDENTIAL YOGA PROGRAM, PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS INCREASED ALL ASPECTS OF MENTAL WELL-BEING AND HAD REDUCED STATE ANXIETY. 2018 17 2653 50 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 18 1085 38 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 19 998 35 EFFECTS OF INTEGRATED YOGA ON QUALITY OF LIFE AND INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP OF PREGNANT WOMEN. PURPOSE: THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF INTEGRATED YOGA ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS IN NORMAL PREGNANT WOMEN. METHODS: ONE HUNDRED AND TWO PREGNANT WOMEN BETWEEN 18 AND 20 WEEKS OF GESTATION WHO MET THE INCLUSION CRITERIA WERE RECRUITED FROM THE OBSTETRIC UNITS IN BANGALORE AND WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO TWO GROUPS OF YOGA (N = 51) AND CONTROL (N = 51). WOMEN WITH MEDICAL CONDITIONS THAT COULD POTENTIALLY LEAD TO PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS AND THOSE WITH ABNORMAL FETAL PARAMETERS WERE EXCLUDED. THE YOGA GROUP RECEIVED INTEGRATED YOGA WHILE CONTROL GROUP RECEIVED STANDARD ANTENATAL EXERCISES, BOTH FOR 1-H THREE TIMES A WEEK FROM 20TH TO 36TH WEEK OF GESTATION. PRE AND POST ASSESSMENTS WERE DONE USING WHOQOL-100 AND FIRO-B QUESTIONNAIRES. RESULTS: OF THE SIX DOMAINS OF WHOQOL-100, BETWEEN GROUPS ANALYSIS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE YOGA GROUP COMPARED TO THE CONTROL IN THE PHYSICAL (P = 0.001), PSYCHOLOGICAL (P < 0.001), SOCIAL (P = 0.003), AND ENVIRONMENTAL DOMAINS (P = 0.001). IN FIRO-B, THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN 'EXPRESSED INCLUSION' (P = 0.02) AND 'WANTED CONTROL' (P = 0.009) DOMAINS COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: THE INTEGRATED YOGA IS AN EFFICACIOUS MEANS OF IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF PREGNANT WOMEN AND ENHANCING CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THEIR INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS. 2010 20 696 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