A Systematic Review of Yoga Interventions on the Mental Health of Nursing Professionals and Students

This systematic review evaluated yoga interventions for preventing and alleviating mental health issues among nursing professionals and students. Following PRISMA guidelines, the review included 14 randomized controlled trials with 967 predominantly female participants aged 18 to 69. Yoga sessions varied from 10 minutes to 1 hour, once to five times weekly, with Laughter yoga most common. Most studies reported significant improvements in outcomes such as stress, anxiety, burnout, and depression in yoga groups compared to controls; nine studies showed significant stress reduction and three found decreased anxiety. No adverse effects were reported, though dropout rates ranged from 0% to 52.1%. The authors suggest yoga is a low-cost, accessible intervention for this population.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This systematic review aimed to evaluate the impact of yoga interventions on preventing and alleviating mental health issues, including stress, anxiety, burnout, depression, and other related factors among nursing professionals and students. The review adhered to the PRISMA guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024512366). A comprehensive literature search was conducted in Google Scholar and PubMed using keywords such as “nursing students,” “nursing professionals,” “yoga interventions,” and “mental health.” Eligible studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published from 1st January 2014 to 31st December 2024, involving nursing population and yoga-based interventions targeting mental health outcomes. The risk of bias was assessed using the CASP tool. The search identified 14 RCTs (967 participants, predominantly female, age range - 18 to 69 years) that met the eligibility criteria. The yoga intervention varied in duration (10 minutes to 1 hour per session), frequency (once to five times weekly), and protocols (Laughter yoga being the most common). Mental health outcomes such as stress, anxiety, burnout, mindfulness, depression, quality of sleep, and life satisfaction were assessed. Most studies reported significant improvements in these outcomes in the yoga intervention groups compared to control groups. Nine studies showed a significant stress reduction, and 3 studies found a decrease in anxiety. No adverse effects were reported, and dropout rates varied between 0% to 52.1%. Yoga was found to be effective in improving mental health and well-being among nursing professionals and students. Yoga mainly reduced stress, anxiety, burnout, and depression, suggesting its potential as a low-cost, accessible intervention for mental health management in this population. Future studies should focus on refining protocols and exploring long-term effects to establish yoga as an integral part of mental health care for nursing professionals and students.