Embodied Resilience: A Quasi-Experimental Exploration of the Effects of a Trauma-Informed Yoga and Mindfulness Curriculum in Carceral Settings.
Danielle Rousseau, Jennifer Wyatt Bourgeois, Josephine Johnson, Lacey Ramirez, Marissa L Donahue
International Journal of Yoga Therapy March 1, 2024 DOI: 10.17761/2024-D-23-00007 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental study Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 326 |
| Population | Individuals who are incarcerated |
| Intervention | trauma-informed yoga and mindfulness |
| Duration | Six weekly sessions of 60-minute group classes |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Incarceration Resilience Trauma-informed Yoga |
| Citations | 4 |
| Key findings | The trauma-informed yoga and mindfulness group showed significant increases in mood and decreases in stress post-class, and greater positive coping, forgiveness, and posttraumatic growth post-curriculum compared to the control group. |
Abstract
Individuals who are incarcerated likely experience trauma or exacerbate existing trauma, which has significant health risks. Trauma-informed care aims to address the experienced trauma. The current study explored the effect of a trauma-informed yoga and mindfulness curriculum in carceral settings. In this quasi-experimental study, participants (n = 326) were assigned to either six weekly sessions of 60-minute group trauma-informed yoga and mindfulness or a waitlist control condition. Stress and mood were measured pre- and postclass, whereas coping, emotional awareness, emotional regulation, anxiety, anger management, compassion, self-compassion, forgiveness, and posttraumatic growth were measured pre- and postcurriculum. The trauma-informed group showed a significant increase in mood and decrease in stress after participation in class. Participants were more likely to use positive coping skills, experienced greater levels of forgiveness, and were more likely to experience posttraumatic growth after completing programming as compared to a control group. Qualitative data highlighted perceived improvements in mood, physical health, communication with peers, coping with anxiety and anger, focus and self-control, optimism, acceptance, and open-mindedness. The qualitative data also demonstrated the importance of supportive relationships outside of participants' peers (i.e., instructors). Outcomes suggest benefit of a trauma-informed yoga and mindfulness curriculum in aiding people who are incarcerated in supporting mental and physical well-being and building resilience.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |