1 2097 126 THE EFFECT OF YOGA IN STRESS REDUCTION FOR DENTAL STUDENTS PERFORMING THEIR FIRST PERIODONTAL SURGERY: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY. CONTEXT: THE DENTAL STUDENTS EXPERIENCE A LOT OF STRESS, WHICH INCREASE WHEN THEY PERFORM THEIR FIRST SURGICAL PROCEDURE. YOGA AS AN ANXIOLYTIC TOOL IN ANXIETY REDUCTION HAS BEEN PRACTICED OVER CENTURIES IN INDIA. AIM: TO ASSESS THE EFFICACY OF YOGA IN REDUCING THE STATE TRAIT ANXIETY OF DENTAL STUDENTS BEFORE THEIR FIRST PERIODONTAL SURGERY PERFORMANCE. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY USING A TWO-WAY SPLIT PLOT DESIGN (PRE-POST-TEST) WAS CONDUCTED IN THE DEPARTMENT OF PERIODONTICS, PACIFIC DENTAL COLLEGE, UDAIPUR, INDIA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ONE HUNDRED CLINICAL DENTAL STUDENTS WHO WERE READY TO PERFORM THEIR FIRST PERIODONTAL SURGERY WERE SELECTED. STUDENTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO TWO GROUPS AND WERE GIVEN A 60-MIN SESSION ON STRESS REDUCTION. GROUP A, YOGIC INTERVENTION GROUP, WERE INSTRUCTED TO DO YOGA AND THEIR PERFORMANCES WERE MONITORED FOR A PERIOD OF ONE WEEK AND GROUP B, CONTROL GROUP, WERE GIVEN A LECTURE ON STRESS REDUCTION WITHOUT ANY YOGA INSTRUCTIONS. THE INVESTIGATOR WHO WAS UNAWARE OF THE GROUPS HAD TAKEN THE STATE TRAIT ANXIETY SCORE OF THE STUDENTS THREE TIMES A) BEFORE ASSIGNING THEM TO EACH GROUP, B) PRIOR TO THE SURGICAL PROCEDURE AND C) IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE PERFORMANCE OF SURGERY. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: ANALYSES OF VARIANCE (ANOVA) BY SPSS V.16. RESULTS: THE STATISTICAL RESULTS SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN THE VAS AND STATE TRAIT ANXIETY OF GROUP A COMPARED TO GROUP B (ANOVA; P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: THIS STUDY CONCLUDES THAT YOGIC BREATHING HAS A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON THE REDUCTION OF STATE TRAIT ANXIETY LEVEL OF DENTAL STUDENTS. 2012 2 2234 29 THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON TEACHERS' SELF-RATED EMOTIONS. OBJECTIVES: TO ASSESS (I) IF TEACHERS' AGE OR GENDER COULD PREDICT THEIR BASELINE LEVELS OF MENTAL WELL-BEING AND ANXIETY AND ANY CHANGE AFTER YOGA. (II) WHETHER MENTAL WELL-BEING OR ANXIETY CHANGED FOLLOWING 15 DAYS OF YOGA IN PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS. PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS TOOK PART IN THIS SINGLE GROUP LONGITUDINAL TRIAL (N = 302, GROUP MEAN AGE +/- SD; 41.8 +/- 5.90 YEARS). THEY RECEIVED 240 MIN OF YOGA PRACTICE AND 120 MIN OF YOGA THEORY EACH DAY. AT BASELINE AND AFTER 15 DAYS OF YOGA THE ASSESSMENTS WERE (I) MENTAL WELL-BEING (WARWICK-EDINBURGH SCALE) AND (II) STATE ANXIETY (SPIELBERGER'S STATE TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY). RESULTS: GENDER ACTED AS A SIGNIFICANT PREDICTOR FOR MENTAL WELL-BEING SCORES (P = 0.001) AND STATE ANXIETY (P = 0.005) IN THE GROUP AT BASELINE. FEMALES SHOWED HIGHER ANXIETY SCORES AND LOWER MENTAL WELL-BEING SCORES. FOLLOWING YOGA THE TEACHERS SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN MENTAL WELL-BEING BY 5.84% AND A DECREASE IN STATE ANXIETY BY 4.48%. TRIAL REGISTRATION THE TRIAL WAS REGISTERED RETROSPECTIVELY (AUGUST 15, 2019; TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN90253431). 2019 3 1177 29 EVALUATION OF SIDDHA SAMADHI YOGA FOR ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS: A PRELIMINARY STUDY. SIDDHA SAMADHI YOGA IS A PROGRAM IN WHICH MEDITATION IS ASSOCIATED WITH PRANAYAMA (BREATHING EXERCISES). 22 VOLUNTEERS WITH ANXIETY COMPLAINTS (M AGE = 42.8 YR., SD = 10.3) WERE ASSIGNED TO TWO GROUPS: 14 ATTENDED THE YOGA GROUP, AND 8 ATTENDED A WAITING-LIST OR CONTROL GROUP. THEY WERE EVALUATED BEFORE THE INTERVENTION AND 1 MONTH AFTER IT ON THE STATE-TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY, THE BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY, TENSION FEELINGS SELF-EVALUATION SCALES, AND THE WELL-BEING SELF-EVALUATION SCALES. A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN SCORES ON ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND TENSION WAS FOUND IN YOGA GROUP, AS WELL AS AN INCREASE IN WELL-BEING IN COMPARISON WITH THE CONTROL GROUP. 2008 4 329 41 ANXIOLYTIC EFFECTS OF A YOGA PROGRAM IN EARLY BREAST CANCER PATIENTS UNDERGOING CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVES: THIS STUDY COMPARES THE ANXIOLYTIC EFFECTS OF A YOGA PROGRAM AND SUPPORTIVE THERAPY IN BREAST CANCER OUTPATIENTS UNDERGOING CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT AT A CANCER CENTRE. METHODS: NINETY-EIGHT STAGE II AND III BREAST CANCER OUTPATIENTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO RECEIVE YOGA (N=45) OR BRIEF SUPPORTIVE THERAPY (N=53) PRIOR TO THEIR PRIMARY TREATMENT I.E., SURGERY. ONLY THOSE SUBJECTS WHO RECEIVED SURGERY FOLLOWED BY ADJUVANT RADIOTHERAPY AND SIX CYCLES OF CHEMOTHERAPY WERE CHOSEN FOR ANALYSIS FOLLOWING INTERVENTION (YOGA, N=18, CONTROL, N=20). INTERVENTION CONSISTED OF YOGA SESSIONS LASTING 60MIN DAILY WHILE THE CONTROL GROUP WAS IMPARTED SUPPORTIVE THERAPY DURING THEIR HOSPITAL VISITS AS A PART OF ROUTINE CARE. ASSESSMENTS INCLUDED SPEILBERGER'S STATE TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY AND SYMPTOM CHECKLIST. ASSESSMENTS WERE DONE AT BASELINE, AFTER SURGERY, BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER RADIOTHERAPY AND CHEMOTHERAPY. RESULTS: A GLM-REPEATED MEASURES ANOVA SHOWED OVERALL DECREASE IN BOTH SELF-REPORTED STATE ANXIETY (P<0.001) AND TRAIT ANXIETY (P=0.005) IN YOGA GROUP AS COMPARED TO CONTROLS. THERE WAS A POSITIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN ANXIETY STATES AND TRAITS WITH SYMPTOM SEVERITY AND DISTRESS DURING CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT INTERVALS. CONCLUSION: THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT YOGA CAN BE USED FOR MANAGING TREATMENT-RELATED SYMPTOMS AND ANXIETY IN BREAST CANCER OUTPATIENTS. 2009 5 977 39 EFFECTS OF ANTENATAL YOGA ON MATERNAL ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: ANTENATAL DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY ARE ASSOCIATED WITH ADVERSE OBSTETRIC AND MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES, YET PRACTICABLE NONPHARMACOLOGICAL THERAPIES, PARTICULARLY FOR THE LATTER, ARE LACKING. YOGA INCORPORATES RELAXATION AND BREATHING TECHNIQUES WITH POSTURES THAT CAN BE CUSTOMIZED FOR PREGNANT WOMEN. THIS STUDY TESTED THE EFFICACY OF YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION FOR REDUCING MATERNAL ANXIETY DURING PREGNANCY. METHODS: FIFTY-NINE PRIMIPAROUS, LOW-RISK PREGNANT WOMEN COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES ASSESSING STATE (STATE TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY; STAI-STATE), TRAIT (STAI-TRAIT), AND PREGNANCY-SPECIFIC ANXIETY (WIJMA DELIVERY EXPECTANCY QUESTIONNAIRE; WDEQ) AND DEPRESSION (EDINBURGH POSTNATAL DEPRESSION SCALE; EPDS) BEFORE RANDOMIZATION (BASELINE) TO EITHER AN 8-WEEK COURSE OF ANTENATAL YOGA OR TREATMENT-AS-USUAL (TAU); BOTH GROUPS REPEATED THE QUESTIONNAIRES AT FOLLOW-UP. THE YOGA GROUP ALSO COMPLETED PRE- AND POSTSESSION STATE ANXIETY AND STRESS HORMONE ASSESSMENTS AT BOTH THE FIRST AND LAST SESSION OF THE 8-WEEK COURSE. RESULTS: A SINGLE SESSION OF YOGA REDUCED BOTH SUBJECTIVE AND PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES OF STATE ANXIETY (STAI-S AND CORTISOL); AND THIS CLASS-INDUCED REDUCTION IN ANXIETY REMAINED AT THE FINAL SESSION OF THE INTERVENTION. MULTIPLE LINEAR REGRESSION ANALYSES IDENTIFIED ALLOCATION TO YOGA AS PREDICTIVE OF GREATER REDUCTION IN WDEQ SCORES (B = -9.59; BCA 95% CI = -18.25 TO -0.43; P = .014; D = -0.57), WHILE ALLOCATION TO TAU WAS PREDICTIVE OF SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED ELEVATION IN EPDS SCORES (B = -3.06; BCA 95% CI = -5.9 TO -0.17; P = .042; D = -0.5). NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WERE OBSERVED IN STATE OR TRAIT ANXIETY SCORES BETWEEN BASELINE AND FOLLOW-UP. CONCLUSION: ANTENATAL YOGA SEEMS TO BE USEFUL FOR REDUCING WOMEN'S ANXIETIES TOWARD CHILDBIRTH AND PREVENTING INCREASES IN DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMATOLOGY. 2014 6 713 32 EFFECT OF INTEGRATED YOGA ON ANXIETY, DEPRESSION & WELL BEING IN NORMAL PREGNANCY. OBJECTIVE: TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF INTEGRATED YOGA ON PREGNANCY EXPERIENCE, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION IN NORMAL PREGNANCY. METHODS: THIS PROSPECTIVE RANDOMIZED CONTROL STUDY RECRUITED 96 WOMEN IN 20TH WEEK OF NORMAL PREGNANCY. YOGA GROUP (N = 51) PRACTICED INTEGRATED YOGA AND CONTROL GROUP (N = 45) DID STANDARD ANTENATAL EXERCISES, ONE HOUR DAILY, FROM 20TH TO 36TH WEEK OF GESTATION. MANN-WHITNEY AND WILCOXON'S TESTS WERE USED FOR STATISTICAL ANALYSIS. RESULTS: THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GROUPS (MANN-WHITNEY P < 0.001) IN ALL VARIABLES. THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WITHIN GROUPS (WILCOXON'S P < 0.001) IN BOTH GROUPS. PREGNANCY RELATED EXPERIENCE (PEQ) REDUCED IN YOGA BY 26.86%, STATE (STAI I) ANXIETY (DECREASED 15.65% IN YOGA, INCREASED 13.76% IN CONTROL), TRAIT (STAI II) ANXIETY (DECREASED 8.97% IN YOGA, INCREASED 5.02% IN CONTROL) AND DEPRESSION (HADS) (DECREASED 30.67% IN YOGA, INCREASED 3.57% IN CONTROL). CONCLUSION: YOGA REDUCES ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND PREGNANCY RELATED UNCOMFORTABLE EXPERIENCES. 2013 7 1874 39 RAPID STRESS REDUCTION AND ANXIOLYSIS AMONG DISTRESSED WOMEN AS A CONSEQUENCE OF A THREE-MONTH INTENSIVE YOGA PROGRAM. BACKGROUND: EMOTIONAL DISTRESS IS AN INCREASING PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM AND HATHA YOGA HAS BEEN CLAIMED TO INDUCE STRESS REDUCTION AND EMPOWERMENT IN PRACTICING SUBJECTS. WE AIMED TO EVALUATE POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF IYENGAR HATHA YOGA ON PERCEIVED STRESS AND ASSOCIATED PSYCHOLOGICAL OUTCOMES IN MENTALLY DISTRESSED WOMEN. MATERIAL/METHODS: A CONTROLLED PROSPECTIVE NON-RANDOMIZED STUDY WAS CONDUCTED IN 24 SELF-REFERRED FEMALE SUBJECTS (MEAN AGE 37.9+/-7.3 YEARS) WHO PERCEIVED THEMSELVES AS EMOTIONALLY DISTRESSED. SUBJECTS WERE OFFERED PARTICIPATION IN ONE OF TWO SUBSEQUENTIAL 3-MONTHS YOGA PROGRAMS. GROUP 1 (N=16) PARTICIPATED IN THE FIRST CLASS, GROUP 2 (N=8) SERVED AS A WAITING LIST CONTROL. DURING THE YOGA COURSE, SUBJECTS ATTENDED TWO-WEEKLY 90-MIN IYENGAR YOGA CLASSES. OUTCOME WAS ASSESSED ON ENTRY AND AFTER 3 MONTHS BY COHEN PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE, STATE-TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY, PROFILE OF MOOD STATES, CESD-DEPRESSION SCALE, BF-S/BF-S' WELL-BEING SCALES, FREIBURG COMPLAINT LIST AND RATINGS OF PHYSICAL WELL-BEING. SALIVARY CORTISOL LEVELS WERE MEASURED BEFORE AND AFTER AN EVENING YOGA CLASS IN A SECOND SAMPLE. RESULTS: COMPARED TO WAITING-LIST, WOMEN WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE YOGA-TRAINING DEMONSTRATED PRONOUNCED AND SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN PERCEIVED STRESS (P<0.02), STATE AND TRAIT ANXIETY (P<0.02 AND P<0.01, RESPECTIVELY), WELL-BEING (P<0.01), VIGOR (P<0.02), FATIGUE (P<0.02) AND DEPRESSION (P<0.05). PHYSICAL WELL-BEING ALSO INCREASED (P<0.01), AND THOSE SUBJECTS SUFFERING FROM HEADACHE OR BACK PAIN REPORTED MARKED PAIN RELIEF. SALIVARY CORTISOL DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY AFTER PARTICIPATION IN A YOGA CLASS (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: WOMEN SUFFERING FROM MENTAL DISTRESS PARTICIPATING IN A 3-MONTH IYENGAR YOGA CLASS SHOW SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS ON MEASURES OF STRESS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL OUTCOMES. FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF YOGA WITH RESPECT TO PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF STRESS-RELATED DISEASE AND OF UNDERLYING MECHANISM IS WARRANTED. 2005 8 1056 44 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 9 2220 33 THE IMPACT OF LAUGHTER YOGA ON DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY AMONG RETIRED WOMEN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL. RECENTLY, LAUGHTER YOGA (LY) HAS BEEN INTRODUCED FOR MANAGING DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. THIS STUDY AIMED TO INVESTIGATE THE IMPACT OF LY ON DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY AMONG RETIRED WOMEN IN CITY OF BOJNURD, IRAN, 2018. SIXTY-SIX RETIRED WOMEN WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO INTERVENTION AND CONTROL GROUPS. INTERVENTION GROUP RECEIVED LY TWICE WEEKLY FOR 8 WEEKS; CONTROL GROUP HAD THEIR ROUTINE DAILY ACTIVITIES. DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY LEVELS WERE MEASURED AT STUDY INITIATION, WEEK 4, AND WEEK 8 IN BOTH GROUPS. RESULTS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN THE PATTERN OF DEPRESSION (P <.001) AND ANXIETY (P <.001) SCORES WITHIN AND BETWEEN GROUPS. LY COULD BE AN EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION IN REDUCING DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY AMONG RETIRED WOMEN. 2022 10 1351 38 IMMEDIATE EFFECT OF A YOGA BREATHING PRACTICE ON ATTENTION AND ANXIETY IN PRE-TEEN CHILDREN. PRE-TEEN CHILDREN FACE STRESSORS RELATED TO THEIR TRANSITION FROM CHILDHOOD TO ADOLESCENCE, WITH A SIMULTANEOUS INCREASE IN ACADEMIC PRESSURE. THE PRESENT STUDY COMPARED THE IMMEDIATE EFFECTS OF 18 MIN OF (I) HIGH FREQUENCY YOGA BREATHING WITH (II) YOGA-BASED BREATH AWARENESS AND (III) SITTING QUIETLY, ON (A) ATTENTION AND (B) ANXIETY, IN 61 PRE-TEEN CHILDREN (AGED BETWEEN 11 AND 12 YEARS; 25 GIRLS). ATTENTION WAS ASSESSED USING A SIX LETTER CANCELLATION TASK AND SPIELBERGER'S STATE TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY STAI-S WAS USED TO MEASURE ANXIETY BEFORE AND AFTER THE THREE PRACTICES, PRACTICED ON SEPARATE DAYS. REPEATED MEASURES ANOVA, FOLLOWED BY BONFERRONI ADJUSTED POST-HOC ANALYSES SHOWED AN INCREASE IN TOTAL ATTEMPTS AND NET SCORES AFTER HIGH FREQUENCY YOGA BREATHING (P < 0.05), WHILE WRONG ATTEMPTS INCREASED AFTER YOGA BASED BREATH AWARENESS (P < 0.05). ANXIETY DECREASED COMPARABLY AFTER ALL THREE INTERVENTIONS. THE 25 GIRLS IN THE GROUP HAD THE SAME TREND OF RESULTS AS THE WHOLE GROUP WITH RESPECT TO THE ATTENTION-BASED CANCELLATION TASK, WHILE BOYS SHOWED NO, HOW SINCE CHANGE. FOR BOTH GIRLS AND BOYS, ANXIETY DECREASED AFTER ALL THREE 18MIN INTERVENTIONS. THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT HIGH FREQUENCY YOGA BREATHING COULD BE A SHORT, USEFUL SCHOOL BASED PRACTICE TO IMPROVE ATTENTION AND REDUCE ANXIETY. 2019 11 1016 30 EFFECTS OF SENSORY-ENHANCED YOGA ON SYMPTOMS OF COMBAT STRESS IN DEPLOYED MILITARY PERSONNEL. OBJECTIVE: WE EXAMINED THE EFFECTS OF SENSORY-ENHANCED HATHA YOGA ON SYMPTOMS OF COMBAT STRESS IN DEPLOYED MILITARY PERSONNEL, COMPARED THEIR ANXIETY AND SENSORY PROCESSING WITH THAT OF STATESIDE CIVILIANS, AND IDENTIFIED ANY CORRELATIONS BETWEEN THE STATE-TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY SCALES AND THE ADOLESCENT/ADULT SENSORY PROFILE QUADRANTS. METHOD: SEVENTY MILITARY PERSONNEL WHO WERE DEPLOYED TO IRAQ PARTICIPATED IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. THIRTY-FIVE RECEIVED 3 WK (>/=9 SESSIONS) OF SENSORY-ENHANCED HATHA YOGA, AND 35 DID NOT RECEIVE ANY FORM OF YOGA. RESULTS: SENSORY-ENHANCED HATHA YOGA WAS EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING STATE AND TRAIT ANXIETY, DESPITE NORMAL PRETEST SCORES. TREATMENT PARTICIPANTS SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER IMPROVEMENT THAN CONTROL PARTICIPANTS ON 16 OF 18 MENTAL HEALTH AND QUALITY-OF-LIFE FACTORS. WE FOUND POSITIVE CORRELATIONS BETWEEN ALL TEST MEASURES EXCEPT SENSORY SEEKING. SENSORY SEEKING WAS NEGATIVELY CORRELATED WITH ALL MEASURES EXCEPT LOW REGISTRATION, WHICH WAS INSIGNIFICANT. CONCLUSION: THE RESULTS SUPPORT USING SENSORY-ENHANCED HATHA YOGA FOR PROACTIVE COMBAT STRESS MANAGEMENT. 2012 12 701 40 EFFECT OF HOLISTIC YOGA PROGRAM ON ANXIETY SYMPTOMS IN ADOLESCENT GIRLS WITH POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME: A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL. CONTEXT: YOGA TECHNIQUES PRACTICED FOR VARYING DURATIONS HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE STATE ANXIETY. THIS WAS NEVER ASSESSED IN ADOLESCENTS WITH POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME (PCOS). AIMS: TO COMPARE THE EFFECT OF A HOLISTIC YOGA PROGRAM WITH THE CONVENTIONAL EXERCISE PROGRAM ON ANXIETY LEVEL IN ADOLESCENTS WITH PCOS. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: NINETY ADOLESCENT (15-18 YEARS) GIRLS FROM A RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE IN ANDHRA PRADESH, WHO SATISFIED THE ROTTERDAM CRITERIA, WERE RANDOMIZED INTO TWO GROUPS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ANXIETY LEVELS WERE ASSESSED AT INCLUSION AND AFTER 12 WEEKS OF INTERVENTION WHEREIN YOGA GROUP PRACTICED A HOLISTIC YOGA MODULE WHILE THE CONTROL GROUP PRACTICED A MATCHING SET OF PHYSICAL EXERCISES (1 H/DAY, FOR 12 WEEKS). STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: MANN-WHITNEY U TEST WAS USED TO COMPARE DIFFERENCE SCORES (DELTA CHANGE) BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS RESULTS: CHANGES IN STATE ANXIETY AFTER THE INTERVENTION WERE NONSIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS (P=0.243), WHILE CHANGES AFTER THE INTERVENTION WERE SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS (P=0.002) FOR TRAIT ANXIETY. CONCLUSIONS: TWELVE WEEKS OF A HOLISTIC YOGA PROGRAM IN ADOLESCENTS WITH PCOS IS SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER THAN PHYSICAL EXERCISE PROGRAM IN REDUCING ANXIETY SYMPTOMS. 2012 13 2444 28 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 14 1063 39 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON HEART RATE VARIABILITY AND MOOD IN WOMEN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF AN 8-WEEK YOGA PROGRAM ON HEART RATE VARIABILITY AND MOOD IN GENERALLY HEALTHY WOMEN. DESIGN: RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. PARTICIPANTS: FIFTY-TWO HEALTHY WOMEN WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A YOGA GROUP OR A CONTROL GROUP. INTERVENTIONS: PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA GROUP COMPLETED AN 8-WEEK YOGA PROGRAM, WHICH COMPRISED A 60-MINUTE SESSION TWICE A WEEK. EACH SESSION CONSISTED OF BREATHING EXERCISES, YOGA POSE PRACTICE, AND SUPINE MEDITATION/RELAXATION. THE CONTROL GROUP WAS INSTRUCTED NOT TO ENGAGE IN ANY YOGA PRACTICE AND TO MAINTAIN THEIR USUAL LEVEL OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY DURING THE STUDY. OUTCOME MEASURES: PARTICIPANTS' HEART RATE VARIABILITY, PERCEIVED STRESS, DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS, AND STATE AND TRAIT ANXIETY WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE (WEEK 0) AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION (WEEK 9). RESULTS: NO MEASURES OF HEART RATE VARIABILITY CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY IN EITHER THE YOGA OR CONTROL GROUP AFTER INTERVENTION. STATE ANXIETY WAS REDUCED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE YOGA GROUP BUT NOT IN THE CONTROL GROUP. NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WERE NOTED IN PERCEIVED STRESS, DEPRESSION, OR TRAIT ANXIETY IN EITHER GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: AN 8-WEEK YOGA PROGRAM WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO IMPROVE HEART RATE VARIABILITY. HOWEVER, SUCH A PROGRAM APPEARS TO BE EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING STATE ANXIETY IN GENERALLY HEALTHY WOMEN. FUTURE RESEARCH SHOULD INVOLVE LONGER PERIODS OF YOGA TRAINING, INCLUDE HEART RATE VARIABILITY MEASURES BOTH AT REST AND DURING YOGA PRACTICE, AND ENROLL WOMEN WITH HIGHER LEVELS OF STRESS AND TRAIT ANXIETY. 2015 15 961 33 EFFECTS OF A YOGA NIDRA ON THE LIFE STRESS AND SELF-ESTEEM IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. OBJECTIVES: TO ASSESS THE EFFECTS OF A YOGA NIDRA ON LIFE STRESS AND SELF-ESTEEM IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. METHODS: THIS STUDY IS A NON-EQUIVALENT CONTROL GROUP PRETEST-POSTTEST DESIGN. FORTY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS WERE SELECTED BY CONVENIENCE SAMPLING, WITH 20 ASSIGNED TO A YOGA NIDRA GROUP AND 20 TO A CONTROL GROUP. THE YOGA GROUP PARTICIPATED IN BI-WEEKLY, 1-H SESSIONS OF YOGA NIDRA FOR 8 WEEKS. LIFE STRESS INTENSITY LEVEL WAS MEASURED USING A 10CM VISUAL ANALOG SCALE. SELF-ESTEEM SCORE WAS MEASURED BY ROSENBERG'S SELF-ESTEEM SCALE. RESULTS: THE YOGA NIDRA GROUP SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED LIFE STRESS INTENSITY LEVELS COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. THE YOGA GROUP ALSO SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED SELF-ESTEEM SCORES COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: THESE FINDINGS INDICATE THAT YOGA NIDRA COULD ALLEVIATE THE LIFE STRESS INTENSITY LEVEL AND INCREASE THE SELF-ESTEEM IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. 2019 16 244 32 A YOGA AND COMPASSION MEDITATION PROGRAM REDUCES STRESS IN FAMILIAL CAREGIVERS OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE PATIENTS. FAMILIAL CAREGIVERS OF PATIENTS WITH ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE EXHIBIT REDUCED QUALITY OF LIFE AND INCREASED STRESS LEVELS. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF AN 8-WEEK YOGA AND COMPASSION MEDITATION PROGRAM ON THE PERCEIVED STRESS, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND SALIVARY CORTISOL LEVELS IN FAMILIAL CAREGIVERS. A TOTAL OF 46 VOLUNTEERS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO PARTICIPATE IN A STRESS-REDUCTION PROGRAM FOR A 2-MONTH PERIOD (YOGA AND COMPASSION MEDITATION PROGRAM-YCMP GROUP) (N = 25) OR AN UNTREATED GROUP FOR THE SAME PERIOD OF TIME (CONTROL GROUP) (N = 21). THE LEVELS OF STRESS, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND MORNING SALIVARY CORTISOL OF THE PARTICIPANTS WERE MEASURED BEFORE AND AFTER INTERVENTION. THE GROUPS WERE INITIALLY HOMOGENEOUS; HOWEVER, AFTER INTERVENTION, THE GROUPS DIVERGED SIGNIFICANTLY. THE YCMP GROUP EXHIBITED A REDUCTION OF THE STRESS (P < 0.05), ANXIETY (P < 0.000001), AND DEPRESSION (P < 0.00001) LEVELS, AS WELL AS A REDUCTION IN THE CONCENTRATION OF SALIVARY CORTISOL (P < 0.05). OUR STUDY SUGGESTS THAT AN 8-WEEK YOGA AND COMPASSION MEDITATION PROGRAM MAY OFFER AN EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION FOR REDUCING PERCEIVED STRESS, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND SALIVARY CORTISOL IN FAMILIAL CAREGIVERS. 2013 17 768 33 EFFECT OF TWO YOGA-BASED RELAXATION TECHNIQUES ON MEMORY SCORES AND STATE ANXIETY. BACKGROUND: A YOGA PRACTICE INVOLVING CYCLES OF YOGA POSTURES AND SUPINE REST (CALLED CYCLIC MEDITATION) WAS PREVIOUSLY SHOWN TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE IN ATTENTION TASKS MORE THAN RELAXATION IN THE CORPSE POSTURE (SHAVASANA). THIS WAS ASCRIBED TO REDUCED ANXIETY, THOUGH THIS WAS NOT ASSESSED. METHODS: IN FIFTY-SEVEN MALE VOLUNTEERS (GROUP AVERAGE AGE +/- S.D., 26.6 +/- 4.5 YEARS) THE IMMEDIATE EFFECT OF TWO YOGA RELAXATION TECHNIQUES WAS STUDIED ON MEMORY AND STATE ANXIETY. ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSESSED BEFORE AND AFTER (I) CYCLIC MEDITATION (CM) PRACTICED FOR 22:30 MINUTES ON ONE DAY AND (II) AN EQUAL DURATION OF SUPINE REST (SR) OR THE CORPSE POSTURE (SHAVASANA), ON ANOTHER DAY. SECTIONS OF THE WECHSLER MEMORY SCALE (WMS) WERE USED TO ASSESS; (I) ATTENTION AND CONCENTRATION (DIGIT SPAN FORWARD AND BACKWARD), AND (II) ASSOCIATE LEARNING. STATE ANXIETY WAS ASSESSED USING SPIELBERGER'S STATE-TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY (STAI). RESULTS: THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THE SCORES OF ALL SECTIONS OF THE WMS STUDIED AFTER BOTH CM AND SR, BUT, THE MAGNITUDE OF CHANGE WAS MORE AFTER CM COMPARED TO AFTER SR. THE STATE ANXIETY SCORES DECREASED AFTER BOTH CM AND SR, WITH A GREATER MAGNITUDE OF DECREASE AFTER CM. THERE WAS NO CORRELATION BETWEEN PERCENTAGE CHANGE IN MEMORY SCORES AND STATE ANXIETY FOR EITHER SESSION. CONCLUSION: A CYCLICAL COMBINATION OF YOGA POSTURES AND SUPINE REST IN CM IMPROVED MEMORY SCORES IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE PRACTICE AND DECREASED STATE ANXIETY MORE THAN REST IN A CLASSICAL YOGA RELAXATION POSTURE (SHAVASANA). 2009 18 729 41 EFFECT OF MIND SOUND RESONANCE TECHNIQUE (MSRT - A YOGA-BASED RELAXATION TECHNIQUE) ON PSYCHOLOGICAL VARIABLES AND COGNITION IN SCHOOL CHILDREN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: SCHOOL CHILDREN UNDERGO STRESS, WHICH COULD IMPACT THEIR PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS AND COGNITIVE ABILITIES. YOGA PRACTICES HAVE BEEN FOUND USEFUL IN ENHANCING PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS AND PERFORMANCE. THE CURRENT STUDY WAS PLANNED TO EVALUATE A YOGA-BASED RELAXATION TECHNIQUE'S EFFICACY AS AN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITY ON PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION. DESIGN AND SETTING: THIS STUDY WAS A PARALLEL-GROUP RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL CONDUCTED AT A GOVERNMENT SCHOOL IN SOUTH INDIA. PARTICIPANTS: SIXTY STUDENTS WITH AGE RANGING BETWEEN 14-16 YEARS (MEAN AGE +/- SD; 15.3 +/- 0.71 YEARS) SATISFYING THE INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA WERE RANDOMIZED TO EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL GROUPS WITH AN ALLOCATION RATIO OF 1:1. INTERVENTION: EXPERIMENTAL GROUP RECEIVED MIND SOUND RESONANCE TECHNIQUE (MSRT), WHEREAS THE CONTROL GROUP PERFORMED SUPINE REST (SR) FOR TWO-WEEKS. OUTCOME MEASURES: PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSESSED WITH STATE TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY - SHORT FORM, MIND WANDERING QUESTIONNAIRE, STATE MINDFULNESS ATTENTION AWARENESS SCALE, AND TRAIL MAKING TASK AT BASELINE AND POST-INTERVENTION. RESULTS: EXPERIMENTAL GROUP SHOWED A REDUCTION IN STATE ANXIETY AND MIND WANDERING WITH IMPROVEMENT IN STATE MINDFULNESS AND PERFORMANCE IN THE TRAIL-MAKING TASK COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: RESULTS OF THE CURRENT TRIAL INDICATE THE BENEFICIAL ROLE OF MSRT IN ENHANCING PSYCHOLOGICAL AND COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS IN CHILDREN. FURTHER, LARGE-SCALE TRIALS ARE WARRANTED TO ASCERTAIN THE USEFULNESS OF THE TECHNIQUE. 2021 19 820 26 EFFECT OF YOGA ON DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF MENTAL HEALTH. STATE ANXIETY, SOMATIZATION OF STRESS, QUALITY OF LIFE, SELF-RATED QUALITY OF SLEEP, AND DISCOMFORT DUE TO OVER-BREATHING WHICH OCCURS WHEN STRESSED WERE STUDIED. OUT OF A TOTAL OF 140 PARTICIPANTS, SEVENTY PARTICIPANTS SELF-SELECTED TO BE IN A YOGA GROUP FOR STRESS RELIEF (GROUP MEAN AGE +/- SD, 33.0 +/- 6.5 YEARS; 37 MALES). SEVENTY AGE AND GENDER MATCHED PARTICIPANTS WERE IN A CONTROL GROUP. STATE ANXIETY, SOMATIZATION OF STRESS, QUALITY OF LIFE, DISCOMFORT AND SELF-RATED QUALITY OF SLEEP WERE ASSESSED USING THE STATE-TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY, SYMPTOM CHECKLIST-90-R, SF-12, NIJMEGEN DISCOMFORT EVALUATION SCALE AND A SLEEP RATING QUESTIONNAIRE RESPECTIVELY. ASSESSMENTS WERE MADE AT THE BEGINNING AND END OF THE WEEK. REPEATED MEASURES ANOVAS WITH BONFERRONI ADJUSTED POST-HOC ANALYSES SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN STATE ANXIETY (P < 0.001), SOMATIZATION OF STRESS (P < 0.01), IMPROVED HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (P < 0.01), SELF-RATED QUALITY OF SLEEP (P < 0.01), AND DECREASE IN DISCOMFORT DUE TO OVER-BREATHING (P < 0.001). NO CHANGES (EXCEPT DECREASED DISCOMFORT DUE TO OVER-BREATHING; P < 0.01) OCCURRED IN THE CONTROL GROUP. THIS STUDY SUGGESTS THAT A BRIEF YOGA PROGRAM MAY BE BENEFICIAL IN DECREASING ANXIETY, SOMATIZATION OF STRESS AND DISCOMFORT, IMPROVING HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE AND SELF-RATED SLEEP QUALITY. 2012 20 110 29 A PILOT STUDY MEASURING THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON THE TRAIT OF MINDFULNESS. BACKGROUND: THE CURRENT STUDY EXAMINED WHETHER YOGA WOULD INCREASE LEVELS OF MINDFULNESS IN A HEALTHY POPULATION. METHOD: FORTY-SIX PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION GROUP OR A WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUP. MINDFULNESS WAS ASSESSED PRE AND POST YOGA, USING THE FREIBURG MINDFULNESS INVENTORY (FMI). RESULTS: RESULTS INDICATE THAT THE YOGA GROUP EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN OVERALL MINDFULNESS, AND IN THREE MINDFULNESS SUBSCALES; ATTENTION TO THE PRESENT MOMENT, ACCEPTING AND OPEN ATTITUDES TOWARD EXPERIENCE, AND INSIGHTFUL UNDERSTANDING (P < .01). THE CONTROL GROUP EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN OVERALL MINDFULNESS (P < .02) AND INSIGHTFUL UNDERSTANDING (P < .01). FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT A YOGA INTERVENTION MAY BE A VIABLE METHOD FOR INCREASING LEVELS OF TRAIT MINDFULNESS IN A HEALTHY POPULATION, POTENTIALLY IMPLICATING YOGA AS A PREVENTIVE METHOD FOR THE LATER DEVELOPMENT OF NEGATIVE EMOTIONAL MOOD STATES (I.E. ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION). THE CONTROL GROUP ALSO EXPERIENCED MODERATE ELEVATIONS OF MINDFULNESS AT THE SECOND ASSESSMENT. 2009