Group Yoga Therapy Impacts Mood States of Adolescents in a Psychiatric Hospital Setting

Abstract

Objective: Managing acutely ill adolescents on a psychiatric unit is a delicate art, and while medication changes are often seen as a primary intervention, teaching youth other skill sets to identify and manage their strong emotions can be a powerful addition to care. Although Yoga is shown to be beneficial in mood regulation in adults, there are few quantitative studies documenting this effect in youth. The goal of this retrospective study is to examine whether yoga affects mood states of adolescents in a psychiatric hospital setting. Method: Participants included 480 predominately white (72%), female (70%), non-Hispanic (79%) youth (15.4 ± 1.8 years) who attended yoga groups between August 2010 and March 2013 while a patient in an intensive psychiatric program. Participants completed the Fast Assessment of Children’s Emotions (FACE) before and after a yoga group. Results: Based on a binary outcome model of “change” or “no change,” the probability of a change in total mood score was high (probability of change .74 (95% CI: 0.70, 0.78). There were no significant associations between age, gender, or other demographics and changes in mood scores. Yoga interventions were classified as primarily energizing, relaxing, balanced or mindful. Energizing interventions were least likely to change self-reported sadness, and relaxing interventions were least likely to change self-reported energy. Conclusion: This preliminary research documents that group yoga therapy can be integrated into a children's psychiatric hospital setting, and has an immediate impact on mood states of youth with serious mental illness.