Mind–Body Medicine Training for Incarcerated Men and Women
Julie K. Staples, Jesse Rice, Kathleen S. Farah, Sabrina N’Diaye, James S. Gordon
Healthcare March 16, 2026 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare14060746 (opens in new tab) via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractAn 8-day mind-body medicine training program for incarcerated men and women produced significant improvements in resilience, depression, anxiety, stress, coping self-efficacy, optimism, meaning in life, and purpose in life. All gains were maintained at a 6-month follow-up. The most frequently practiced skills were soft belly breathing, meditation, and mindful eating. The uncontrolled study suggests such a program may benefit incarcerated people in other prison systems.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Uncontrolled study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 38 |
| Population | Incarcerated men and women in the United States |
| Interventions | meditation autogenics and biofeedback guided imagery mindful eating self-expression through drawings and writing |
| Duration | 8-day training, 6-month follow-up |
| Keywords | Prison Coping psychology Meaning existential Soft skills Medline |
| Key finding | The mind-body medicine training program significantly improved resilience, depression, anxiety, stress, coping self-efficacy, optimism, meaning in life, and purpose in life, with all improvements maintained at 6-month follow-up. |
Abstract
Background/Objective: Mind–body programs teaching mindfulness-based techniques have benefits for incarcerated people, as do programs in which individuals teach yoga to their incarcerated peers. However, there are no studies of comprehensive programs that combine a variety of self-care techniques with group support and enable people in prison to enhance their own well-being and then share what they have learned with their peers. This study evaluated the effects of such a training program in the United States. Methods: Thirty-eight incarcerated men and women began the 8-day mind–body medicine training and 31 completed the training. Mind–body techniques taught included soft belly breathing, meditation, autogenics and biofeedback, guided imagery, mindful eating, self-expression through drawings and writing, and genograms. Outcomes included resilience, depression, anxiety, stress, coping self-efficacy, optimism, meaning in life, and purpose in life. Outcomes were measured before and after the training, and at a 6-month follow-up. Results: There were significant improvements in resilience, depression, anxiety, stress, coping self-efficacy, optimism, the presence of meaning in life, and purpose in life after the training. All of these improvements were maintained at follow-up. The most frequently practiced skills both after the training and at follow-up were soft belly breathing, meditation, and mindful eating. Conclusions: The training provided participants with skills that had a lasting positive benefit on numerous aspects of their own well-being and trained them to teach the skills to their incarcerated peers. The results of this uncontrolled study suggest that the mind–body medicine training program may be helpful to incarcerated people in other prison systems.