1 1635 126 MODERATORS OF TREATMENT EFFICACY IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF TRAUMA-SENSITIVE YOGA AS AN ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT FOR POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY IS A FOLLOW-UP TO VAN DER KOLK ET AL. (2014), A TRIAL CONDUCTED THROUGH THE TRAUMA CENTER AT JUSTICE RESOURCE INSTITUTE, WHICH DEMONSTRATED TREATMENT EFFICACY AND REMAINS THE ONLY RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF TRAUMA-SENSITIVE YOGA. THE PRESENT PROCESS STUDY EXTENDS THE OUTCOMES STUDY BY EXAMINING TREATMENT MODERATORS OF THE ORIGINAL TRIAL. METHOD: SIXTY-FOUR WOMEN WITH CHILDHOOD INTERPERSONAL TRAUMA HISTORIES AND POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER PARTICIPATED IN THE INTERVENTIONS: TRAUMA CENTER TRAUMA-SENSITIVE YOGA (TCTSY) VERSUS ACTIVE CONTROL (WOMEN'S HEALTH EDUCATION). ANALYSES EXPLORED IF ADULT-ONSET INTERPERSONAL TRAUMA AND BASELINE PSYCHOLOGICAL MEASURES (CLINICIAN-RATED AND SELF-REPORTED PTSD, DISSOCIATION, DEPRESSION, PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONING) MODERATED PTSD CHANGES. RESULTS: THREE OF SIX MEASURES HAD SMALL EFFECTS IN MODERATING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ADULT-ONSET INTERPERSONAL TRAUMA AND TCTSY EFFICACY, IN WHICH TCTSY WAS MOST EFFICACIOUS FOR THOSE WITH FEWER ADULT-ONSET INTERPERSONAL TRAUMAS. WITHIN THIS SUBGROUP, VARIOUS LEVELS OF ALL BASELINE MEASURES EXCEPT DEPRESSION INDICATED THAT TCTSY WAS MORE EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING PTSD THAN THE ACTIVE CONTROL CONDITION. CONCLUSIONS: BY DELINEATING CLIENT CHARACTERISTICS MOST ASSOCIATED WITH PTSD IMPROVEMENTS, PRACTITIONERS MAY BEST TARGET YOGA INTERVENTIONS TO INCREASE EFFECTIVENESS. (PSYCINFO DATABASE RECORD (C) 2020 APA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED). 2020 2 2035 23 TELE-YOGA FOR CHRONIC PAIN: CURRENT STATUS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS. PAIN IS A PERVASIVE, DEBILITATING DISORDER THAT IS RESISTANT TO LONG-TERM PHARMACOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS. ALTHOUGH PSYCHOLOGICAL THERAPIES SUCH AS COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR THERAPY DEMONSTRATE MODERATE EFFICACY, MANY INDIVIDUALS CONTINUE TO HAVE ONGOING DIFFICULTIES FOLLOWING TREATMENT. THERE IS A CURRENT TREND TO ESTABLISH COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE HEALTH INTERVENTIONS FOR CHRONIC PAIN, FOR WHICH YOGA HAS BEEN FOUND TO HAVE EXCITING POTENTIAL. NEVERTHELESS, AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION WITHIN THE FIELD IS ACCESSIBILITY TO ADEQUATE CARE. TELEHEALTH CAN BE USED TO PROVIDE REAL-TIME INTERACTIVE VIDEO CONFERENCING LEADING TO INCREASED ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE FOR INDIVIDUALS LOCATED REMOTELY OR WHO OTHERWISE HAVE DIFFICULTY ACCESSING SERVICES, PERHAPS THROUGH ISSUES OF MOBILITY OR PROXIMITY OF ADEQUATE SERVICES. THIS ARTICLE ASSESSES THE CURRENT STATUS AND FEASIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTING TELE-YOGA FOR CHRONIC PAIN. METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH ARE DISCUSSED. 2018 3 2316 52 TRAUMA-SENSITIVE YOGA FOR POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER IN WOMEN VETERANS WHO EXPERIENCED MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA: INTERIM RESULTS FROM A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: TO CONDUCT AN INTERIM ANALYSIS OF DATA COLLECTED FROM AN ONGOING MULTISITE RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL (RCT) ASSESSING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TRAUMA CENTER TRAUMA-SENSITIVE YOGA (TCTSY) FOR POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) AMONG WOMEN VETERANS WITH PTSD RELATED TO MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA (MST). THE PURPOSE OF THE INTERIM ANALYSIS WAS TO ASSESS OUTCOMES FROM THE PRIMARY SITE, WHICH IS GEOGRAPHICALLY, DEMOGRAPHICALLY, CULTURALLY, AND PROCEDURALLY DISTINCT FROM THE SECOND SITE. DESIGN: RCT WAS CONDUCTED WITHIN A VETERANS ADMINISTRATION HEALTH CARE SYSTEM. DATA COLLECTION INCLUDED PREINTERVENTION THROUGH 3 MONTHS POSTINTERVENTION. PARTICIPANTS: ENROLLMENT FOR THE MAIN SITE WAS 152 WOMEN. THE SAMPLE SIZE FOR THE INTENT-TO-TREAT ANALYSIS WAS 104. THE MAJORITY WERE AFRICAN AMERICAN (91.3%) WITH A MEAN AGE OF 48.46 YEARS. INTERVENTION: THE TCTSY INTERVENTION (N = 58) WAS CONDUCTED BY TCTSY-CERTIFIED YOGA FACILITATORS AND CONSISTED OF 10 WEEKLY 60-MIN GROUP SESSIONS. THE CONTROL INTERVENTION, COGNITIVE PROCESSING THERAPY (CPT; N = 46), CONSISTED OF 12 90-MIN WEEKLY GROUP SESSIONS CONDUCTED PER VETERANS ADMINISTRATION PROTOCOL BY CLINICIANS IN THE PTSD CLINIC. OUTCOME MEASURES: THE CLINICIAN ADMINISTERED PTSD SCALE FOR DSM-5 (CAPS-5) WAS USED TO ASSESS CURRENT PTSD DIAGNOSIS AND SYMPTOM SEVERITY, INCLUDING OVERALL PTSD AND FOUR SYMPTOM CLUSTERS. THE PTSD CHECKLIST FOR DSM-5 (PCL-5) WAS USED TO OBTAIN SELF-REPORT OF PTSD SYMPTOM SEVERITY, INCLUDING TOTAL SCORE AND FOUR SYMPTOM CLUSTERS. RESULTS: THE FINDINGS REPORTED HERE ARE INTERIM RESULTS FROM ONE CLINICAL SITE. FOR BOTH THE CAPS-5 AND PCL-5, TOTAL SCORES AND ALL FOUR CRITERION SCORES DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY (P < 0.01) OVER TIME IN ALL FIVE MULTILEVEL LINEAR MODELS WITHIN BOTH TCTSY AND CPT GROUPS, WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GROUPS. THERE WERE CLINICALLY MEANINGFUL IMPROVEMENTS SEEN FOR BOTH TCTSY AND CPT WITH 51.1%-64.3% OF TCTSY SUBJECTS AND 43.5%-73.7% OF CPT DECREASING THEIR CAPS-5 SCORES BY 10 POINTS OR MORE. EFFECT SIZES FOR TOTAL SYMPTOM SEVERITY WERE LARGE FOR TCTSY (COHEN'S D = 1.10-1.18) AND CPT (COHEN'S D = 0.90-1.40). INTERVENTION COMPLETION WAS HIGHER IN TCTSY (60.3%) THAN IN CPT (34.8%). SYMPTOM IMPROVEMENT OCCURRED EARLIER FOR TCTSY (MIDINTERVENTION) THAN FOR CPT (2 WEEKS POSTINTERVENTION). SAFETY: THERE WERE NO UNANTICIPATED ADVERSE EVENTS IN THIS STUDY. CONCLUSION: THE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY DEMONSTRATE THAT TCTSY MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR PTSD THAT YIELDS SYMPTOM IMPROVEMENT MORE QUICKLY, HAS HIGHER RETENTION THAN CPT, AND HAS A SUSTAINED EFFECT. TCTSY MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVE TO TRAUMA-FOCUSED THERAPY FOR WOMEN VETERANS WITH PTSD RELATED TO MST. THE STUDY IS REGISTERED IN CLINICALTRIALS.GOV (CTR NO.: NCT02640690). 2021 4 2019 33 SYNCHRONOUS TELEHEALTH YOGA AND COGNITIVE PROCESSING GROUP THERAPIES FOR WOMEN VETERANS WITH POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER: A MULTISITE RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL ADAPTED FOR COVID-19. BACKGROUND: PROVIDING CARE OVER TELEHEALTH GREW SLOWLY UNTIL THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. SINCE THE ONSET OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, PROVIDING MENTAL HEALTH CARE WAS READILY ADAPTED TO VIRTUAL MEANS; HOWEVER, CLINICAL TRIAL RESEARCH IS NASCENT IN ADAPTING METHODS AND PROCEDURES TO THE VIRTUAL WORLD. METHODS: WE PRESENT PROTOCOL MODIFICATIONS TO PIVOT A MULTISITE RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL STUDY, CONDUCTED AT SOUTHEASTERN AND PACIFIC NORTHWESTERN VETERANS AFFAIRS HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS, FROM BEING CONDUCTED IN-PERSON TO VIRTUALLY, FOLLOWING THE ONSET OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. WE MEASURED OUTCOMES OF POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) SYMPTOMS AND PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL MARKERS OF STRESS AMONG FEMALE VETERANS WITH PTSD SECONDARY TO MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA. WE COLLECTED QUALITATIVE DATA ABOUT PROVIDER AND PARTICIPANT EXPERIENCES WITH TELEHEALTH. RESULTS: ACROSS SITES, 200 PARTICIPANTS WERE CONSENTED (48 VIRTUALLY), 132 WERE RANDOMIZED (28 TO VIRTUAL GROUPS), AND 117 COMPLETED DATA COLLECTION AND TREATMENT (69 COMPLETED ALL OR SOME DATA COLLECTION OR TREATMENT VIRTUALLY). CONCLUSIONS: THE PIVOTS MADE FOR THIS STUDY WERE IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND OFFER INNOVATIVE PROCEDURES LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY AND CONTRIBUTING TO THE BROADER LANDSCAPE OF CONDUCTING RESEARCH VIRTUALLY. CLINICAL TRIALS NUMBER: NCT02640690. 2022 5 2360 27 VIDEOCONFERENCED YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR CANCER PATIENTS AND THEIR CAREGIVERS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A REPORT FROM A CLINICIAN'S PERSPECTIVE. BACKGROUND: THE ACCEPTABILITY OF VIDEOCONFERENCING DELIVERY OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS IN THE ADVANCED CANCER SETTING IS RELATIVELY UNEXPLORED. THE CURRENT REPORT SUMMARIZES THE CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS OF THE TRANSITION FROM AN IN-PERSON (IE, FACE-TO-FACE) TO A VIDEOCONFERENCE INTERVENTION DELIVERY APPROACH IN RESPONSE TO THE CORONAVIRUS DISEASE PANDEMIC. METHOD: PARTICIPANTS INCLUDED PATIENT-FAMILY CAREGIVER DYADS WHO WERE ENROLLED IN ONGOING YOGA TRIALS AND 2 CERTIFIED YOGA THERAPISTS WHO DELIVERED THE YOGA SESSIONS. WE SUMMARIZED THEIR EXPERIENCES USING RECORDINGS OF THE YOGA SESSIONS AND INTERVENTIONISTS' PROGRESS NOTES. RESULTS: OUT OF 7 DYADS PARTICIPATING IN THE PARENT TRIAL, 1 DECLINED THE VIDEOCONFERENCED SESSIONS. PARTICIPANTS WERE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 55 AND 76 AND MOSTLY NON-HISPANIC WHITE (83%). PATIENTS WERE MAINLY MALE (83%), ALL HAD STAGE III OR IV CANCER AND WERE UNDERGOING RADIOTHERAPY. CAREGIVERS WERE ALL FEMALE. DESPITE CHALLENGES IN THE AREAS OF TECHNOLOGY, LOCATION, AND SETTING, INSTRUCTION AND PERSONAL CONNECTION, THE OVERALL ACCEPTABILITY WAS HIGH AMONG PATIENTS, CAREGIVERS, AND INSTRUCTORS. THROUGH THIS TRANSITION PROCESS, SOLUTIONS TO THESE CHALLENGES WERE FOUND, WHICH ARE DESCRIBED HERE. CONCLUSION: ALTHOUGH IN-PERSON INTERVENTIONS ARE FAVORED BY BOTH THE STUDY PARTICIPANTS AND THE INTERVENTIONISTS, VIDEOCONFERENCE SESSIONS WERE DEEMED ACCEPTABLE. ALL PARTICIPANTS HAD THE BENEFIT OF A PREVIOUS IN-PERSON EXPERIENCE, WHICH WAS HELPFUL AND PERHAPS NECESSARY FOR OLDER AND ADVANCED CANCER PATIENTS REQUIRING PRACTICE MODIFICATIONS. IN A REMOTE SETTING, THE ASSISTANCE OF CAREGIVERS SEEMS PARTICULARLY BENEFICIAL TO ENSURE PRACTICE SAFETY. CLINICALTRIALS.GOV: NCT03948100; NCT02481349. 2021 6 2632 33 YOGA FOR TRAUMA AND RELATED MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS: A META-REVIEW WITH CLINICAL AND SERVICE RECOMMENDATIONS. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE PROVIDERS HAVE EXPRESSED GROWING INTEREST IN THE BENEFITS OF YOGA TO HELP INDIVIDUALS COPE WITH THE EFFECTS OF TRAUMA, INCLUDING ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD). DESPITE THE GROWING POPULARITY AND STRONG APPEAL OF YOGA, PROVIDERS MUST BE MINDFUL OF THE EVIDENCE REGARDING THE EFFICACY OF YOGA IN TREATING TRAUMA EFFECTS AS WELL AS TRAUMA-RELATED MENTAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS AND ILLNESSES. THEREFORE, OUR RESEARCH TEAM SOUGHT TO ANSWER TWO QUESTIONS: (A) WHAT IS THE EVIDENCE REGARDING YOGA AS A TREATMENT FOR TRAUMA EFFECTS, INCLUDING ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND PTSD AND (B) WHAT ARE THE CLINICAL AND SERVICE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR USING YOGA WITH TRAUMA-EXPOSED INDIVIDUALS? OUR INITIAL SCANS IDENTIFIED A SUBSTANTIAL BODY OF RESEARCH, INCLUDING REVIEWS. RATHER THAN REPLICATE EARLIER EFFORTS, WE UNDERTOOK A SYSTEMATIC META-REVIEW OF 13 LITERATURE REVIEWS, ONE OF WHICH INCLUDED A META-ANALYSIS. WE DETERMINED THE 13 REVIEWS EXAMINED 185 DISTINCT STUDIES. FINDINGS SHOW THAT THE EVIDENCE REGARDING YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION FOR THE EFFECTS OF TRAUMA AS WELL AS THE MENTAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS AND ILLNESSES OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH TRAUMA IS ENCOURAGING BUT PRELIMINARY. OVERALL, THE BODY OF RESEARCH IS LACKING IN RIGOR AS WELL AS SPECIFICITY REGARDING TRAUMA. REVIEW RESULTS ALSO ONLY ALLOW FOR THE RECOMMENDATION OF YOGA AS AN ANCILLARY TREATMENT. FURTHER, THE REVIEWS HAD CONSIDERABLE DIFFERENCES IN THEIR METHODS AND LIMITATIONS. NONETHELESS, THE RESULTS YIELDED FINDINGS CONCERNING HOW CLINICIANS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS CAN USE YOGA IN THEIR OWN PRACTICES, WHICH IS AN IMPORTANT STEP FOR BUILDING AN EVIDENCE BASE IN THIS AREA. 2018 7 2795 29 YOGA THERAPY FOR MILITARY PERSONNEL AND VETERANS: QUALITATIVE PERSPECTIVES OF YOGA STUDENTS AND INSTRUCTORS. OBJECTIVE: MILLIONS OF MILITARY PERSONNEL AND VETERANS LIVE WITH CHRONIC MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH CONDITIONS THAT OFTEN DO NOT RESPOND WELL TO PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENTS. SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS AND LACK OF TREATMENT RESPONSE HAVE LED TO WIDESPREAD EFFORTS TO STUDY AND PROMOTE NON-PHARMACOLOGICAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH TREATMENTS FOR MANY CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS. YOGA IS AN INCREASINGLY POPULAR MIND-BODY INTERVENTION THAT HAS GROWING RESEARCH SUPPORT FOR ITS EFFICACY AND SAFETY. OUR OBJECTIVE WAS TO EXPLORE THE ATTITUDES, PERSPECTIVES, AND PREFERENCES OF MILITARY PERSONNEL AND VETERANS TOWARD YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC MODALITY, THUS PROVIDING NEEDED INFORMATION FOR DESIGNING AND PROMOTING YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR THIS POPULATION. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS INCLUDED 24 INDIVIDUALS WITH YOGA EXPERIENCE AND CURRENT OR PAST MILITARY SERVICE AND 12 INSTRUCTORS WHO HAVE TAUGHT YOGA FOR MILITARY PERSONNEL AND/OR VETERANS. A SEMI-STRUCTURED SET OF QUESTIONS GUIDED INTERVIEWS WITH EACH PARTICIPANT. RESULTS: FIVE THEMES EMERGED FROM THE INTERVIEWS: (1) MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS EXPERIENCED FROM YOGA PRACTICE; (2) PHYSICAL HEALTH BENEFITS EXPERIENCED FROM YOGA PRACTICE; (3) IMPORTANT YOGA ELEMENTS AND CONDITIONS THAT SUPPORT EFFECTIVE PRACTICE; (4) FACILITATORS FOR ENGAGING MILITARY IN YOGA PRACTICE; AND (5) CHALLENGES AND BARRIERS TO YOGA PRACTICE FOR MILITARY. CONCLUSIONS: THE STUDY HIGHLIGHTS CONSISTENT REPORTS OF MENTAL AND PHYSICAL BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE, ONGOING STIGMA RESULTING IN THE NEED FOR COMBATTING AND DEMYSTIFYING YOGA AND OTHER COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE HEALTH (CIH) PRACTICES, THE IMPORTANCE OF DESIGNING INTERVENTIONS TO ADDRESS THE UNIQUE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND PERSPECTIVES OF THIS POPULATION, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF EFFORTS BY MILITARY LEADERSHIP TO BRING CIH TO MILITARY PERSONNEL AND VETERANS. RIGOROUS RESEARCH ADDRESSING THESE FINDINGS, ALONG WITH FURTHER RESEARCH ON THE EFFICACY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR TREATING VARIOUS CONDITIONS ARE NEEDED. 2018 8 1872 17 RAPID CONVERSION OF A GROUP-BASED YOGA TRIAL FOR DIVERSE OLDER WOMEN TO HOME-BASED TELEHEALTH: LESSONS LEARNED USING ZOOM TO DELIVER MOVEMENT-BASED INTERVENTIONS. THIS BRIEF REPORT DESCRIBES THE RAPID CONVERSION OF A RANDOMIZED TRIAL OF A HATHA-BASED YOGA PROGRAM FOR OLDER WOMEN WITH URINARY INCONTINENCE TO A TELEHEALTH VIDEOCONFERENCE PLATFORM DURING THE CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19) PANDEMIC. INTERIM RESULTS DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY OF RECRUITING AND RETAINING PARTICIPANTS ACROSS A WIDE RANGE OF AGES AND ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS, BUT ALSO POINT TO POTENTIAL OBSTACLES AND SAFETY CONCERNS ARISING FROM TELEHEALTH-BASED INSTRUCTION. THE INVESTIGATORS PRESENT LESSONS LEARNED ABOUT THE BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES OF USING TELEHEALTH PLATFORMS TO DELIVER MOVEMENT-BASED INTERVENTIONS AND CONSIDER STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE ACCESSIBLE AND WELL-TOLERATED TELEHEALTH-BASED YOGA PROGRAMS FOR OLDER AND DIVERSE POPULATIONS. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03672461. 2022 9 2627 16 YOGA FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF CANCER TREATMENT-RELATED TOXICITIES. PURPOSE OF REVIEW: TO (1) EXPLAIN WHAT YOGA IS, (2) SUMMARIZE PUBLISHED LITERATURE ON THE EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR MANAGING CANCER TREATMENT-RELATED TOXICITIES, (3) PROVIDE CLINICAL RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE USE OF YOGA FOR ONCOLOGY PROFESSIONALS, AND (4) SUGGEST PROMISING AREAS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH. RECENT FINDINGS: BASED ON A TOTAL OF 24 PHASE II AND ONE PHASE III CLINICAL TRIALS, LOW-INTENSITY FORMS OF YOGA, SPECIFICALLY GENTLE HATHA AND RESTORATIVE, ARE FEASIBLE, SAFE, AND EFFECTIVE FOR TREATING SLEEP DISRUPTION, CANCER-RELATED FATIGUE, COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT, PSYCHOSOCIAL DISTRESS, AND MUSCULOSKELETAL SYMPTOMS IN CANCER PATIENTS RECEIVING CHEMOTHERAPY AND RADIATION AND CANCER SURVIVORS. CLINICIANS SHOULD CONSIDER PRESCRIBING YOGA FOR THEIR PATIENTS SUFFERING WITH THESE TOXICITIES BY REFERRING THEM TO QUALIFIED YOGA PROFESSIONALS. MORE DEFINITIVE PHASE III CLINICAL TRIALS ARE NEEDED TO CONFIRM THESE FINDINGS AND TO INVESTIGATE OTHER TYPES, DOSES, AND DELIVERY MODES OF YOGA FOR TREATING CANCER-RELATED TOXICITIES IN PATIENTS AND SURVIVORS. 2018 10 122 36 A PILOT STUDY OF YOGA AS SELF-CARE FOR ARTHRITIS IN MINORITY COMMUNITIES. BACKGROUND: WHILE ARTHRITIS IS THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF DISABILITY, NON-HISPANIC BLACKS AND HISPANICS EXPERIENCE WORSE ARTHRITIS IMPACT DESPITE HAVING THE SAME OR LOWER PREVALENCE OF ARTHRITIS COMPARED TO NON-HISPANIC WHITES. PEOPLE WITH ARTHRITIS WHO EXERCISE REGULARLY HAVE LESS PAIN, MORE ENERGY, AND IMPROVED SLEEP, YET ARTHRITIS IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON REASONS FOR LIMITING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. MIND-BODY INTERVENTIONS, SUCH AS YOGA, THAT TEACH STRESS MANAGEMENT ALONG WITH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY MAY BE WELL SUITED FOR INVESTIGATION IN BOTH OSTEOARTHRITIS AND RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS. YOGA USERS ARE PREDOMINANTLY WHITE, FEMALE, AND COLLEGE EDUCATED. THERE ARE FEW STUDIES THAT EXAMINE YOGA IN MINORITY POPULATIONS; NONE ADDRESS ARTHRITIS. THIS PAPER PRESENTS A STUDY PROTOCOL EXAMINING THE FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF PROVIDING YOGA TO AN URBAN, MINORITY POPULATION WITH ARTHRITIS. METHODS/DESIGN: IN THIS ONGOING PILOT STUDY, A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF 20 MINORITY ADULTS DIAGNOSED WITH EITHER OSTEOARTHRITIS OR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS UNDERGO AN 8-WEEK PROGRAM OF YOGA CLASSES. IT IS BELIEVED THAT BY ATTENDING YOGA CLASSES DESIGNED FOR PATIENTS WITH ARTHRITIS, WITH RACIALLY CONCORDANT INSTRUCTORS; ACCEPTABILITY OF YOGA AS AN ADJUNCT TO STANDARD ARTHRITIS TREATMENT AND SELF-CARE WILL BE ENHANCED. SELF-CARE IS DEFINED AS ADOPTING BEHAVIORS THAT IMPROVE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING. THIS CONCEPT IS QUANTIFIED THROUGH COLLECTING PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOME MEASURES RELATED TO SPIRITUAL GROWTH, HEALTH RESPONSIBILITY, INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS, AND STRESS MANAGEMENT. ADDITIONAL MEASURES COLLECTED DURING THIS STUDY INCLUDE: PHYSICAL FUNCTION, ANXIETY/DEPRESSION, FATIGUE, SLEEP DISTURBANCE, SOCIAL ROLES, AND PAIN; AS WELL AS BASELINE DEMOGRAPHIC AND CLINICAL DATA. FIELD NOTES, QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DATA REGARDING FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY ARE ALSO COLLECTED. ACCEPTABILITY IS DETERMINED BY RESPONSE/RETENTION RATES, POSITIVE QUALITATIVE DATA, AND CONTINUING YOGA PRACTICE AFTER THREE MONTHS. DISCUSSION: THERE ARE A NUMBER OF CHALLENGES IN RECRUITING AND RETAINING PARTICIPANTS FROM A COMMUNITY CLINIC SERVING MINORITY POPULATIONS. ADOPTING BEHAVIORS THAT IMPROVE WELL-BEING AND QUALITY OF LIFE INCLUDE THOSE THAT INTEGRATE MENTAL HEALTH (MIND) AND PHYSICAL HEALTH (BODY). FEW STUDIES HAVE EXAMINED OFFERING INTEGRATIVE MODALITIES TO THIS POPULATION. THIS PILOT WAS UNDERTAKEN TO QUANTIFY MEASURES OF FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY THAT WILL BE USEFUL WHEN EVALUATING FUTURE PLANS FOR EXPANDING THE STUDY OF YOGA IN URBAN, MINORITY POPULATIONS WITH ARTHRITIS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV: NCT01617421. 2013 11 155 29 A QUALITATIVE STUDY EXPLORING YOGA IN VETERANS WITH PTSD SYMPTOMS. QUANTITATIVE STUDIES OF YOGA HAVE REPORTED REDUCED POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) SYMPTOMS IN VETERANS, BUT LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT HOW AND WHY VETERANS ARE ATTRACTED TO AND STICK WITH A YOGA PRACTICE. GUIDED BY THE HEALTH BELIEF MODEL, THIS STUDY EXAMINED VETERANS' PERCEPTIONS OF THE BENEFITS, BARRIERS, AND MOTIVATIONS TO CONTINUE PRACTICING TRAUMA-SENSITIVE YOGA. INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH NINE INDIVIDUALS, FIVE OF WHOM COMPLETED A 6-WEEK TRAUMA-SENSITIVE YOGA INTERVENTION DESIGNED FOR VETERANS AND FOUR WHO DID NOT COMPLETE THE INTERVENTION. TRANSCRIPTS WERE ANALYZED FOR THEMES. THE BENEFITS IDENTIFIED BY VETERANS WERE FINDING MENTAL STILLNESS, BODY AWARENESS, AND SOCIAL CONNECTION. THE BARRIERS WERE PERCEPTIONS THAT YOGA IS SOCIALLY UNACCEPTABLE, ESPECIALLY FOR MEN, AND PHYSICALLY UNCHALLENGING. UNDERSTANDING THESE BENEFITS AND BARRIERS CAN HELP TO MAKE YOGA MORE ATTRACTIVE TO SERVICE MEMBERS AND VETERANS. FOR EXAMPLE, MEDICAL PERSONNEL CAN REFER SERVICE MEMBERS AND VETERANS TO YOGA NOT ONLY FOR PTSD SYMPTOMS, BUT ALSO TO ADDRESS BACK PAIN AND TO REDUCE ISOLATION. ACCESS TO MALE YOGA INSTRUCTORS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE THEMSELVES SERVICE MEMBERS OR VETERANS, COULD BE EXPANDED, AND CLASSES COULD BE INTEGRATED INTO PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ROUTINES REQUIRED OF ACTIVE-DUTY PERSONNEL. PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS CAN FEATURE MALE SERVICE MEMBERS AND VETERANS WITH CAPTIONS RELATED TO YOGA AS A WAY TO INCREASE RESILIENCY, SELF-SUFFICIENCY, AND PHYSICAL AND MENTAL MISSION READINESS. FINDINGS FROM THIS STUDY CAN HELP THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND THE VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION IMPLEMENT YOGA AS AN ADJUNCT OR ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT FOR VETERANS WITH PTSD SYMPTOMS. 2018 12 1903 31 RESULTS FROM A CLINICAL YOGA PROGRAM FOR VETERANS: YOGA VIA TELEHEALTH PROVIDES COMPARABLE SATISFACTION AND HEALTH IMPROVEMENTS TO IN-PERSON YOGA. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS INCREASINGLY POPULAR, THOUGH LITTLE DATA REGARDING ITS IMPLEMENTATION IN HEALTHCARE SETTINGS IS AVAILABLE. SIMILARLY, TELEHEALTH IS BEING UTILIZED MORE FREQUENTLY TO INCREASE ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE; HOWEVER WE KNOW OF NO RESEARCH ON THE ACCEPTABILITY OR EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA DELIVERED THROUGH TELEHEALTH. THEREFORE, WE EVALUATED THE FEASIBILITY, ACCEPTABILITY, AND PATIENT-REPORTED EFFECTIVENESS OF A CLINICAL YOGA PROGRAM AT A VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CENTER AND ASSESSED WHETHER THESE OUTCOMES DIFFERED BETWEEN THOSE PARTICIPATING IN-PERSON AND THOSE PARTICIPATING VIA TELEHEALTH. METHODS: VETERANS WHO ATTENDED A YOGA CLASS AT THE VA PALO ALTO HEALTH CARE SYSTEM WERE INVITED TO COMPLETE AN ANONYMOUS PROGRAM EVALUATION SURVEY. RESULTS: 64 VETERANS COMPLETED THE SURVEY. PARTICIPANTS REPORTED HIGH SATISFACTION WITH THE CLASSES AND THE INSTRUCTORS. MORE THAN 80% OF PARTICIPANTS WHO ENDORSED A PROBLEM WITH PAIN, ENERGY LEVEL, DEPRESSION, OR ANXIETY REPORTED IMPROVEMENT IN THESE SYMPTOMS. THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED VIA TELEHEALTH DID NOT DIFFER FROM THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED IN-PERSON IN ANY MEASURE OF SATISFACTION, OVERALL IMPROVEMENT (P = .40), OR IMPROVEMENT IN ANY OF 16 SPECIFIC HEALTH PROBLEMS. CONCLUSIONS: DELIVERING YOGA TO A WIDE RANGE OF PATIENTS WITHIN A HEALTHCARE SETTING APPEARS TO BE FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE, BOTH WHEN DELIVERED IN-PERSON AND VIA TELEHEALTH. PATIENTS IN THIS CLINICAL YOGA PROGRAM REPORTED HIGH LEVELS OF SATISFACTION AND IMPROVEMENT IN MULTIPLE PROBLEM AREAS. THIS PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE FOR THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A CLINICAL YOGA PROGRAM COMPLEMENTS PRIOR EVIDENCE FOR THE EFFICACY OF YOGA AND SUPPORTS THE USE OF YOGA IN HEALTHCARE SETTINGS. 2017 13 181 36 A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF YOGA VS NONAEROBIC EXERCISE FOR VETERANS WITH PTSD: UNDERSTANDING EFFICACY, MECHANISMS OF CHANGE, AND MODE OF DELIVERY. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) IS A CHRONIC, DISABLING, AND PREVALENT MENTAL HEALTH DISORDER AMONG VETERANS. DESPITE THE AVAILABILITY OF EMPIRICALLY SUPPORTED PSYCHOTHERAPIES, MANY VETERANS REMAIN SYMPTOMATIC AFTER TREATMENT AND/OR PREFER TO SEEK COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE HEALTH APPROACHES, INCLUDING YOGA, TO MANAGE PTSD. THE RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL (RCT) DESCRIBED HEREIN WILL EVALUATE THE EFFICACY OF A MANUALIZED YOGA PROGRAM AS COMPARED TO NONAEROBIC EXERCISE IN REDUCING PTSD SEVERITY AMONG VETERANS. A SECONDARY AIM OF THIS STUDY IS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE MECHANISMS OF CHANGE. METHODS: VETERANS (N = 192) WITH PTSD WILL BE RANDOMIZED TO HATHA YOGA OR NONAEROBIC PHYSICAL ACTIVITY CONTROL; BOTH GROUPS CONSIST OF 12 WEEKLY, 60-MIN GROUP OR ONLINE TRAINING SESSIONS WITH 15-20 MIN OF DAILY AT-HOME PRACTICE. OUTCOME MEASURES WILL BE ADMINISTERED AT BASELINE, MID-TREATMENT, POSTTREATMENT, AND 12-WEEK FOLLOW-UP. PROJECTED OUTCOMES: THIS STUDY WILL EVALUATE CHANGES IN PTSD SEVERITY (PRIMARY OUTCOME) AS WELL AS DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, ANGER, SLEEP PROBLEMS, AND PSYCHOSOCIAL DISABILITY (SECONDARY OUTCOMES). WE WILL ALSO USE MULTIPLE MEDIATION TO EXAMINE TWO POTENTIAL MODELS OF THE MECHANISMS OF CLINICAL EFFECT: THE ATTENTION MODEL (I.E., YOGA INCREASES ATTENTIONAL CONTROL, WHICH REDUCES PTSD SYMPTOMS), THE COPING MODEL (I.E., YOGA INCREASES DISTRESS TOLERANCE, WHICH IMPROVES COPING, WHICH REDUCES PTSD SYMPTOMS), AND THE COMBINATION OF THESE MODELS. THIS ASPECT OF THE STUDY IS INNOVATIVE AND IMPORTANT GIVEN THE ABSENCE OF AN EXISTING, COMPREHENSIVE MODEL FOR UNDERSTANDING YOGA'S IMPACT ON PTSD. ULTIMATELY, WE HOPE TO DEVELOP GUIDELINES FOR APPLICATION OF YOGA TO PTSD RECOVERY. 2021 14 1541 35 KRIPALU YOGA FOR MILITARY VETERANS WITH PTSD: A RANDOMIZED TRIAL. OBJECTIVES: THIS RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF YOGA FOR MILITARY VETERANS AND ACTIVE DUTY PERSONNEL WITH POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) EVALUATED THE EFFICACY OF A 10-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION ON PTSD. METHOD: FIFTY-ONE PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMIZED INTO YOGA OR NO-TREATMENT ASSESSMENT-ONLY CONTROL GROUPS. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDED QUESTIONNAIRES AND THE CLINICIAN ADMINISTERED PTSD SCALE. RESULTS: BOTH YOGA (N = 9) AND CONTROL (N = 6) PARTICIPANTS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN REEXPERIENCING SYMPTOMS, WITH NO SIGNIFICANT BETWEEN-GROUP DIFFERENCES. SECONDARY WITHIN-GROUP ANALYSES OF A SELF-SELECTED WAIT-LIST YOGA GROUP (N = 7) SHOWED SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN PTSD SYMPTOMS AFTER YOGA PARTICIPATION, IN CONTRAST TO THEIR CONTROL GROUP PARTICIPATION. CONSISTENT WITH CURRENT LITERATURE REGARDING HIGH RATES OF PTSD TREATMENT DROPOUT FOR VETERANS, THIS STUDY FACED CHALLENGES RETAINING PARTICIPANTS ACROSS CONDITIONS. CONCLUSION: THESE RESULTS ARE CONSISTENT WITH RECENT LITERATURE INDICATING THAT YOGA MAY HAVE POTENTIAL AS A PTSD THERAPY IN A VETERAN OR MILITARY POPULATION. HOWEVER, ADDITIONAL LARGER SAMPLE SIZE TRIALS ARE NECESSARY TO CONFIRM THIS CONCLUSION. 2018 15 551 28 CONVENIENT AND LIVE MOVEMENT (CALM) FOR WOMEN UNDERGOING BREAST CANCER TREATMENT: CHALLENGES AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INTERNET-BASED YOGA RESEARCH. OBJECTIVE: TO CONDUCT A PILOT TRIAL OF INTERNET-BASED, CANCER-ADAPTED YOGA FOR WOMEN RECEIVING BREAST CANCER TREATMENT. DESIGN: WOMEN UNDERGOING RADIATION OR CHEMOTHERAPY FOR BREAST CANCER WERE RECRUITED FOR 12, 75-MIN, BIWEEKLY, CANCER-ADAPTED YOGA CLASSES DELIVERED VIA INTERNET-BASED, MULTIPOINT VIDEOCONFERENCING. DATA WERE COLLECTED ON FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY, INCLUDING QUALITATIVE FEEDBACK FROM PARTICIPANTS AND THE YOGA INSTRUCTOR. RESULTS: AMONG 42 WOMEN APPROACHED, 13 DECLINED ELIGIBILITY SCREENING, AND 23 WERE INELIGIBLE. ALL 6 WOMEN WHO WERE ELIGIBLE PROVIDED CONSENT, BUT 2 WITHDREW PRIOR TO BEGINNING YOGA CLASSES. THE REMAINING 4 PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED 1-11 OF 12 ONLINE YOGA CLASSES. IN POST-INTERVENTION INTERVIEWS, PARTICIPANTS AND THE INSTRUCTOR AGREED THAT INTERNET-BASED YOGA CLASSES HOLD GREAT POTENTIAL FOR INCREASING ACCESS AND IMPROVING PSYCHOLOGICAL OUTCOMES IN ADULTS WITH CANCER. QUALITATIVE FEEDBACK FROM PARTICIPANTS REVEALED SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE TRIALS OF INTERNET-BASED, CANCER-ADAPTED YOGA CLASSES, INCLUDING: CONTINUED USE OF GROUP FORMAT; OFFERING MORE VARIED CLASS TIMES TO ACCOMMODATE PATIENTS' DEMANDING SCHEDULES AND FLUCTUATING SYMPTOMS; ENROLLING PATIENTS AFTER THEY HAVE ACCLIMATED TO OR COMPLETED CANCER TREATMENT; STREAMLINING THE TECHNOLOGY INTERFACE; AND CAREFUL ATTENTION TO PARTICIPANT BURDEN WHEN DESIGNING SURVEYS/FORMS. THE INSTRUCTOR RECOMMENDED CLOSED SESSION COURSES, AS OPPOSED TO ROLLING ENROLLMENT; TEACHING THE SAME MODIFIED POSES FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS, RATHER THAN INDIVIDUAL TAILORING; AND USING A LARGE SCREEN TO ALLOW CLOSER MONITORING OF STUDENTS' CLASS EXPERIENCE. CONCLUSIONS: INTERNET DELIVERY MAY INCREASE PATIENTS' ACCESS TO CANCER-ADAPTED YOGA CLASSES, BUT CANCER-RELATED AND TECHNOLOGICAL BARRIERS REMAIN. THIS STUDY INFORMS HOW TO OPTIMALLY DESIGN YOGA CLASSES, TECHNOLOGY, AND RESEARCH PROCEDURES TO MAXIMIZE FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY IN FUTURE TRIALS. 2018 16 2286 27 THE USE OF YOGA IN SPECIALIZED VA PTSD TREATMENT PROGRAMS. BACKGROUND: POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) IS A CHRONIC, DEBILITATING ANXIETY DISORDER THAT IS HIGHLY PREVALENT AMONG U.S. MILITARY VETERANS. YOGA, DEFINED TO INCLUDE PHYSICAL POSTURES (ASANA) AND MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION, IS BEING INCREASINGLY USED AS AN ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT FOR PTSD AND OTHER PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS. NO RESEARCH OR ADMINISTRATIVE DATA HAVE DETAILED THE USE OF THESE SERVICES IN DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS' (VA) 170 PTSD TREATMENT PROGRAMS. METHODS: ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE PROGRAM COORDINATORS OR DESIGNATED STAFF COMPLETED AN 81-ITEM SURVEY OF THEIR PROGRAM'S USE OF COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE MODALITIES IN THE PAST YEAR. THIS REPORT DESCRIBES DATA FROM A SUBSET OF 30 QUESTIONS USED TO ASSESS THE PREVALENCE, NATURE, AND CONTEXT OF THE USE OF YOGA, MINDFULNESS, AND MEDITATION OTHER THAN MINDFULNESS PRACTICES. RESULTS: RESULTS REVEALED THAT THESE PRACTICES ARE WIDELY OFFERED IN VA SPECIALIZED PTSD TREATMENT PROGRAMS AND THAT THERE IS GREAT VARIABILITY IN THE CONTEXT AND NATURE OF HOW THEY ARE DELIVERED. CONCLUSIONS: UNDERSTANDING HOW YOGA IS USED BY THESE PROGRAMS MAY INFORM ONGOING EFFORTS TO DEFINE AND DISTINGUISH YOGA THERAPY AS A RESPECTED THERAPEUTIC DISCIPLINE AND TO CREATE PATIENT-CENTERED CARE MODELS THAT MINDFULLY FULFILL THE UNMET NEEDS OF INDIVIDUALS WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, INCLUDING VETERANS WITH PTSD. 2012 17 250 32 A YOGA INTERVENTION PROGRAM FOR PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM SYMPTOMS OF POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER: A QUALITATIVE DESCRIPTIVE STUDY. OBJECTIVE: TO UNDERSTAND HOW INDIVIDUALS WITH SYMPTOMS OF POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) PERCEIVE A TRAUMA-SENSITIVE KUNDALINI YOGA (KY) PROGRAM. METHODS: DIGITALLY RECORDED TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS 30-60 MINUTES IN DURATION WERE CONDUCTED WITH 40 INDIVIDUALS WITH PTSD PARTICIPATING IN AN 8-WEEK KY TREATMENT PROGRAM. INTERVIEWS WERE TRANSCRIBED VERBATIM AND ANALYZED USING QUALITATIVE THEMATIC ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES. RESULTS: QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS IDENTIFIES THREE MAJOR THEMES: SELF-OBSERVED CHANGES, NEW AWARENESS, AND THE YOGA PROGRAM ITSELF. FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT PARTICIPANTS NOTED CHANGES IN AREAS OF HEALTH AND WELL-BEING, LIFESTYLE, PSYCHOSOCIAL INTEGRATION, AND PERCEPTIONS OF SELF IN RELATION TO THE WORLD. PRESENTED ARE PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS FOR TRAUMA-RELATED PROGRAMMING. CONCLUSION: THERE IS A NEED TO CONSIDER ALTERNATIVE AND POTENTIALLY EMPOWERING APPROACHES TO TRAUMA TREATMENT. YOGA-RELATED SELF-CARE OR SELF-MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES ARE WIDELY ACCESSIBLE, ARE EMPOWERING, AND MAY ADDRESS THE MIND-BODY ELEMENTS OF PTSD. 2015 18 2813 19 YOGA TO TREAT NONSPECIFIC LOW BACK PAIN. LOW BACK PAIN IS COMMON AND POSES A CHALLENGE FOR CLINICIANS TO FIND EFFECTIVE TREATMENT TO PREVENT IT FROM BECOMING CHRONIC. CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN CAN HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON AN EMPLOYEE'S ABILITY TO REMAIN AN ACTIVE AND PRODUCTIVE MEMBER OF THE WORK FORCE DUE TO INCREASED ABSENTEEISM, DUTY RESTRICTIONS, OR PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS FROM PAIN. LOW BACK PAIN IS THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF WORK-RELATED DISABILITY AMONG EMPLOYEES YOUNGER THAN 46 YEARS. ADVANCING TECHNOLOGY AND LESS INVASIVE SURGICAL PROCEDURES HAVE NOT IMPROVED OUTCOMES FOR EMPLOYEES WHO SUFFER FROM LOW BACK PAIN. MOST CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE SOME PAIN AND DYSFUNCTION AFTER CONVENTIONAL TREATMENTS SUCH AS INJECTIONS AND SURGERY. AN ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT THAT COULD REDUCE NONSPECIFIC CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN WOULD BENEFIT BOTH EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYERS. EXERCISING AND REMAINING ACTIVE ARE PART OF MOST GUIDELINES' ROUTINE CARE RECOMMENDATIONS BUT ARE NOT WELL DEFINED. 2011 19 1224 27 FEASIBILITY AND ASSESSMENT OF OUTCOME MEASURES FOR YOGA AS SELF-CARE FOR MINORITIES WITH ARTHRITIS: A PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: WHILE THERE IS A GROWING INTEREST IN THE THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS OF YOGA, MINORITY POPULATIONS WITH ARTHRITIS TEND TO BE UNDER-REPRESENTED IN THE RESEARCH. ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS AN ABSENCE OF GUIDANCE IN THE LITERATURE REGARDING THE USE OF MULTICULTURAL TEAMS AND SOCIOCULTURAL HEALTH BELIEFS, WHEN DESIGNING YOGA STUDIES FOR A RACIALLY DIVERSE POPULATION WITH ARTHRITIS. THIS PILOT STUDY EXAMINED THE FEASIBILITY OF OFFERING YOGA AS A SELF-CARE MODALITY TO AN URBAN, BILINGUAL, MINORITY POPULATION WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA) OR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA), IN THE WASHINGTON, DC AREA. METHODS: THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY OF OFFERING AN 8-WEEK, BILINGUAL YOGA INTERVENTION ADAPTED FOR ARTHRITIS TO A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF PRIMARILY HISPANIC AND BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN ADULTS. A RACIALLY DIVERSE INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH TEAM WAS ASSEMBLED TO DESIGN A STUDY TO FACILITATE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION. THE SECOND OBJECTIVE IDENTIFIED OUTCOME MEASURES TO OPERATIONALIZE POTENTIAL FACILITATORS AND BARRIERS TO SELF-CARE AND SELF-EFFICACY. THE THIRD OBJECTIVE DETERMINED THE FEASIBILITY OF USING COMPUTER-ASSISTED SELF-INTERVIEW (CASI) FOR DATA COLLECTION. RESULTS: ENROLLED PARTICIPANTS (N = 30) WERE MOSTLY FEMALE (93%), SPANISH SPEAKING (69%), AND DIAGNOSED WITH RA (88.5%). FEASIBILITY WAS EVALUATED USING PRACTICALITY, ACCEPTABILITY, ADAPTATION, AND EXPANSION OF AN ARTHRITIS-ADAPTED YOGA INTERVENTION, MODIFIED FOR THIS POPULATION. RECRUITMENT (51%) AND PARTICIPATION (60%) RATES WERE SIMILAR TO PREVIOUS RESEARCH AND CLINICAL EXPERIENCE WITH THE STUDY POPULATION. OF THOSE ENROLLED, 18 STARTED THE INTERVENTION. FOR ADHERENCE, 12 OUT OF 18 (67%) PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THE INTERVENTION. ALL (100%), WHO COMPLETED THE INTERVENTION, CONTINUED TO PRACTICE YOGA 3 MONTHS AFTER COMPLETING THE STUDY. USING NONPARAMETRIC TESTS, SELECTED OUTCOME MEASURES SHOWED A MEASURABLE CHANGE POST-INTERVENTION SUGGESTING APPROPRIATE USE IN FUTURE STUDIES. AN IN-PERSON COMPUTERIZED QUESTIONNAIRE WAS DETERMINED TO BE A FEASIBLE METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION. CONCLUSIONS: FINDINGS FROM THIS PILOT STUDY CONFIRM THE FEASIBILITY OF OFFERING YOGA TO THIS RACIALLY/ETHNICALLY DIVERSE POPULATION WITH ARTHRITIS. THIS ARTICLE PROVIDES RECRUITMENT/RETENTION RATES, OUTCOME MEASURES WITH ERROR RATES, AND DATA COLLECTION RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A PREVIOUSLY UNDER-REPRESENTED POPULATION. SUGGESTIONS INCLUDE ALLOCATING RESOURCES FOR TRANSLATION AND USING A MULTICULTURAL DESIGN TO FACILITATE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV, NCT01617421. 2018 20 905 35 EFFECTIVENESS OF AN EXTENDED YOGA TREATMENT FOR WOMEN WITH CHRONIC POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER. BACKGROUND: YOGA HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE AN EFFECTIVE POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) TREATMENT FOR A VARIETY OF TRAUMA SURVIVORS, INCLUDING FEMALES WITH CHRONIC PTSD. AIM/PURPOSE: THE CURRENT STUDY BUILDS ON EXTANT RESEARCH BY EXAMINING AN EXTENDED TRAUMA-SENSITIVE YOGA TREATMENT FOR WOMEN WITH CHRONIC PTSD. THE STUDY SOUGHT TO OPTIMIZE THE RESULTS OF A TREATMENT PROTOCOL EXAMINED IN A RECENT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL WITH A SHORTER DURATION AND WITHOUT ASSIGNMENT OR MONITORING OF HOME PRACTICE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THE AUTHORS EXAMINED A 20-WEEK TRAUMA-SENSITIVE YOGA TREATMENT IN A NON-RANDOMIZED SINGLE-GROUP TREATMENT FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR WOMEN WITH CHRONIC TREATMENT-RESISTANT PTSD (N = 9). THE AUTHORS EXAMINED PTSD AND DISSOCIATION SYMPTOM REDUCTION OVER SEVERAL ASSESSMENT PERIODS. RESULTS: THE RESULTS INDICATE THAT PARTICIPANTS EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN PTSD AND DISSOCIATIVE SYMPTOMATOLOGY ABOVE AND BEYOND SIMILAR TREATMENTS OF A SHORTER DURATION. CONCLUSIONS: THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT MORE INTENSIVE TRAUMA-SENSITIVE YOGA TREATMENT CHARACTERIZED BY LONGER DURATION AND INTENTIONAL ASSIGNMENT AND MONITORING OF HOME PRACTICE MAY BE MORE ADVANTAGEOUS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH SEVERE AND CHRONIC PTSD. THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS FOR THE POTENTIALLY MORE SUBSTANTIAL ROLE OF YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION FOR A SUBSET OF ADULTS WITH CHRONIC TREATMENT-RESISTANT PTSD ARE DISCUSSED. 2017