Effects of Yoga
Review a variety of recent scientific studies
Ashly Longstreth
October 31, 2021
Yoga for Military Personnel & Veterans
Hurst, S., Maiya, M., Casteel, D., Sarkin, A. J., Libretto, S., Elwy, A. R., Park, C. L., & Groessl, E. J. (2018). Yoga therapy for military personnel and veterans: Qualitative perspectives of yoga students and instructors. Complementary therapies in medicine, 40, 222–229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2017.10.008
This study recruited participants who met the following criteria: have taken (or taught) 5 or more yoga classes in the last 2 months, were 18 years or older, and were currently or previously enlisted in a branch of the United States Armed Forces (or taught yoga specifically to groups of active duty military or veterans). A total of 12 instructors who have taught yoga to veterans and military personnel, and 24 individuals with yoga experience and current or past military service were participants in the study. The purpose and goal were to promote and study non-pharmacological and behavioral health treatments for several chronic health ailments. The study took place between June and September 2015, where each individual participated in a semi-structured set of questions and guided interviews. Both the interviews and questions were focused on the participant’s experience or involvement in yoga practices and the resulting types of challenges or benefits.
Data were categorized using a coding approach that reflected the important descriptive information from targeted questions. After the coding schema was reviewed for validity, the codebook and interview transcripts were uploaded to a standardized web-based qualitative analysis program known as Dedoose for the final analysis. As a result of the analysis, key themes and ideas were prevalent. The themes include the following: (1) mental health benefits experienced from yoga practice; (2) physical health benefits experienced from yoga practice; (3) important yoga elements and conditions that promote effective practice and/or health benefits; (4) facilitators for engaging military in yoga practice; and (5) challenges and barriers to yoga practice for military. The limitations consider the small sample size of the study participants, and that they are all military and yoga affiliated, therefore the results only reflect this group. Conclusions suggested that there are reports of mental and physical benefits of yoga, military leadership bringing forth complementary and integrative health practices is important, and further research is needed.
Yoga for Adolescents (ages 10 to approximately 18 years old)
Khalsa, S. B. S., Hickey-Schultz, L., Cohen, D., Steiner, N., & Cope, S. (2012). Evaluation of the Mental Health Benefits of Yoga in a Secondary School: A Preliminary Randomized Controlled Trial. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 39(1), 80–90. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-011-9249-8
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential mental health benefits of yoga for adolescents in secondary school. Participants included students in the 7th grade, from a rural secondary school in Massachusetts. Participation was through a passive consent, opt-out procedure, and both the parents and students were informed of the study. Participants were randomly assigned to either the control group, which would continue with physical education classes as usual, or to a yoga group. The study included two to three yoga sessions per week for 11 weeks, and each session was either 30 or 40 minutes in length.
The participants were given a self-report questionnaire before the yoga program, and again after they had finished the program. Instructors recorded reactions, responses, and comments made by the participants regarding yoga. Measurements were performed by the Self-Report of Personality (SRP) version of the Behavior Assessment Survey for Children Version 2 (BASC-2), the Profile of Mood States short form (POMS-SF), the Resilience Scale (RS), and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Results showed a significant difference in scale between the yoga group and the control group. The RS showed that the yoga group had a significant increase in resilience, while the control group had a significant decrease.
The BASC-2 subscale for anger control showed that the yoga group had a decrease, while the control group increased. There was also a significant difference between the groups in measuring the fatigue/inertia subscale of POMS-SF. The yoga group showed a strong decrease in fatigue, while the control group showed a statistically insignificant increase. Limitations were that the comparative benefits between both groups could overlap those of yoga, the duration of the program was only one semester-long, and the secondary school was both rural and a largely normative population. Conclusions suggest that yoga implementation in a secondary school is feasible and has the potential of playing a protective role in maintaining mental health.
Yoga and Work-Related Stress
Lin, S.-L., Huang, C.-Y., Shiu, S.-P., & Yeh, S.-H. (2015). Effects of Yoga on Stress, Stress Adaption, and Heart Rate Variability Among Mental Health Professionals-A Randomized Controlled Trial. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, 12(4), 236–245. https://doi.org/10.1111/wvn.12097
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of yoga on work-related stress, autonomic nerve activity, and stress adaptation among mental health professionals. The methods used included a randomized controlled trial was used, in which the experimental and control groups were compared for 12 weeks. 60 participants were mental health professionals in a teaching hospital who were not involved in any formal exercise program. They were randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group and were given assessments before and after the program. At baseline, midway through the weekly yoga lessons (6 weeks), and post-intervention (after 12 weeks of yoga classes), heart rate variability (HRV) was recorded.
The data was coded and double-checked after it was collected from the subjects via a questionnaire and an HRV examination. The results showed that stress adaptation and work-related stress of the participants in the yoga group improved significantly after the 12-week yoga intervention. The yoga group showed an increase in stress adaptation, a decrease in work-related stress, and a significant increase in autonomic nerve activity at the midpoint. There were no significant differences in stress adaptation and work-related stress within the control group. Due to the small group size, location, and time constituents, this study does not reflect all mental health professionals. Results suggested that a yoga program greater than 6 weeks may effectively enhance the activity of parasympathetic nerves to elevate stress adaptation and help with work-related stress.
Yoga for Depression
Prathikanti, S., Rivera, R., Cochran, A., Tungol, J. G., Fayazmanesh, N., & Weinmann, E. (2017). Treating major depression with yoga: A prospective, randomized, controlled pilot trial. PloS one, 12(3), e0173869. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0173869
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of hatha yoga intervention as a monotherapy for mild to moderate major depression. 38 adults that met the criteria for major depression were recruited from San Francisco. The criteria were tested per structured psychiatric interview and scores of 14-28 on Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI), and individuals who were undergoing therapy treatment or medication were excluded from the study. Twice weekly for 8 weeks, twenty participants were randomized to 90-minute hatha yoga practice groups. Whereas the control group consisted of eighteen participants that were randomized to a 90-minute attention control education group twice weekly for 8 weeks.
From baseline to 8 weeks, the primary outcome was depression severity, as determined by BDI scores every 2 weeks. Self-efficacy and self-esteem were examined at baseline and 8 weeks using scores on the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). A statistically significant group-by-time interaction developed, showing that those in the yoga practice group saw a higher drop in depression symptoms across the 8-week research than those in the control group. Therefore yoga appeared to exert a small but positive effect in increasing GSES scores and RSES scores. The conclusion of the study is an 8-week hatha yoga intervention resulted in statistically and clinically significant reductions in depression severity in persons with mild-to-moderate severe depression.
Yoga for School Teachers
Telles, S., Gupta, R. K., Bhardwaj, A. K., Singh, N., Mishra, P., Pal, D. K., & Balkrishna, A. (2018). Increased Mental Well-Being and Reduced State Anxiety in Teachers After Participation in a Residential Yoga Program. Medical science monitor basic research, 24, 105–112. https://doi.org/10.12659/MSMBR.909200
The purpose of this study was to see the effects of yoga on mental health with primary school teachers. 236 primary school teachers from North-East India were enrolled in the study, and participation was voluntary. 118 adults of both sexes were in the experimental yoga group, all participants in this group were naïve to yoga and had to receive basic learning and instruction on yoga practice. The control group consisted of 118 participants of comparable age that did not receive any yoga instruction or inclusion. Assessments were given to the participants of both groups at the beginning and the end of the 15-day program.
Mental well-being was assessed using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS), and state anxiety was measured using a sub-scale of Spielberger’s State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Results suggested that mental well-being and state anxiety are interdependent. There was also a significant difference in mental well-being and state anxiety, while the experimental group showed an increase in mental well-being and a decrease in state anxiety, and the control group recorded no significant changes. Because the two groups' baseline levels of state anxiety varied, it was suggested to regard with caution the reduction in state anxiety following yoga. The conclusions suggest that a 15-day residential yoga program incorporating physical postures, regulated breathing, and guided relaxation can promote mental well-being and reduce state anxiety among primary school teachers.
Yoga and Chronic Illness
Telles, S., Gupta, R. K., Kumar, A., Pal, D. K., Tyagi, D., & Balkrishna, A. (2019). Mental Wellbeing, Quality of Life, and Perception of Chronic Illness in Yoga-Experienced Compared with Yoga-Naïve Patients. Medical science monitor basic research, 25, 153–163. https://doi.org/10.12659/MSMBR.914663
The purpose of this study was to compare mental well-being, perception, and quality of life in yoga-experienced patients with yoga-naïve patients with chronic illness. It was also of interest to determine if the duration of yoga with experienced participants shows any correlation with the effects such as perception of illness and quality of life. A total of 419 patients with the chronic non-communicable disease were enrolled in a voluntary cross-sectional comparative study, all of which was a mean age of 41.9 years. 150 of those participants were yoga experienced, and the remaining 269 were yoga-naïve. The study was designed as a single cross-sectional evaluation, including assessments utilizing standard relevant questionnaires, from April to August 2017.
The Warwick-Edinburgh mental wellbeing scale (WEMWBS) and the World Health Organization quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF) self-reporting questionnaire were used to assess their perceptions of their illness, mental wellness, and quality of life. The domain scores in the four domains, physical, psychological, social, and environmental, were calculated using the mean scores of items within each domain, and represented an individual's view of their Quality of Life in each category, with higher scores suggesting a higher quality of life. Results showed that the yoga-experienced group had significantly higher scores compared with the yoga-naïve group in mental wellbeing. While the yoga-experienced group and yoga-naïve group differed significantly in the three dimensions of quality of life, based on the questionnaire. The conclusions of the study suggested that the group with yoga experience had significantly better mental well-being, total quality of life, and better personal control than the yoga-naïve group.
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