As you are all aware, I am in the bittersweet process of writing a book about my experiences as a working yoga therapist at an inpatient psychiatric hospital. Because I enjoy science and validation, I want to ensure my book has relevant insight to back up my thought processes, as well as patient responses, reactions, and experiences. (Of course, I have to complicate things for myself. lol) As I was rummaging through PubMed, I found some interesting papers and while my highlighter is working overtime, I want to occasionally share some findings with you here.
This study (click to read abstract) caught my eye because it was conducted at an inpatient facility, just like where I currently work. The data collected, although limited, is relevant and promising.
"People with severe mental illnesses often experience prominent negative emotions, cognitive difficulties, sensitivity to stress, and poor physical health. Many of these difficulties are worst during periods of psychiatric hospitalization, when symptoms are exacerbated and stress is high due to living in a highly controlled and confined environment."
Could yoga help lower stress levels while at the hospital? You betcha!
This study included data from 113 participants who were willing to fill out a 65-item self-reported Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire. Changes in mood were evaluated before and after the yoga class.
The format of this Yoga Program, based on principles of Hatha Yoga and Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program, included:
an introduction to the class,
centering focused on breathing,
warm-up for major joint and muscle groups,
classical postures focused on breathing and body sensations, and
lying in a comfortable position with attention on the body;
the class lasted 45 minutes and was offered once a week at this facility.
"Participants reported statistically significant improvements in all 5 of the negative emotion factors (the vigor-activity factor did not change significantly).
The findings provide support for the feasibility of conducting yoga classes in inpatient settings with acutely ill and long-term ill individuals. Yoga may be a useful adjunctive treatment for people receiving psychiatric inpatient treatment."
As with all research conducted on human beings in naturalistic settings, limitations, such as a lack of a control group, warrants ongoing future research.
For now and for the purposes of my book-writing, this will do. I hope you found this informative (maybe one of you reading this is as geeky about this as I am - lmk).
May you be well.
Love, Ola
Yoga impacting profile of mood share questionnaire is a benchmark step.
Didn't know you were writing a book. Excited now...