The influence of yoga therapy on anxiety
Luke Clark, S. D. Edwards, Wellington Didibhuku Thwala, Pat Louw
Inkanyiso September 13, 2011 DOI: 10.4314/ijhss.v3i1.69502 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental mixed-methods study Randomized Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 37 |
| Population | Adults with anxiety perceptions, divided into a yoga group (18) and a no-yoga control group (19) |
| Intervention | Yoga therapy |
| Duration | Three months |
| Measures | Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) |
| Topics | Anxiety |
| Citations | 5 |
| Key findings | Regular yoga therapy was associated with significant decreases in anxiety perceptions over time, but these changes were not significant compared with the control group, so no causative inferences can be made. Qualitative analysis suggested meaningful relief from anxiety over time, especially regarding physicality, contentment, relaxation, breath control, mindfulness, transcendence, and spirituality. |
Abstract
The stressful lifestyles that accompany modern living generate levels of anxiety that become a major concern in society. Psychopharmacological medication and psychotherapy for anxiety is expensive for government health departments as well as for individual consumers. Although the value of yoga as a beneficial and cost effective therapy for anxiety has long been advocated, there have been very few well designed scientific studies in this regard. Therefore the aim of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of yoga therapy on anxiety perceptions and experiences. The research hypothesis that yoga could decrease such anxiety was investigated by comparing two groups, an experimental group of 18 participants that practised yoga and a control group of 19 participants that did not practise yoga, over a duration of three months, The research design included quantitative and qualitative research methods. Quantitative results from the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) indicated that, although regular yoga therapy was associated with significant decreases in anxiety perceptions over time, these changes were not significant when compared with the control group. Therefore, no causative inferences can be made. Qualitative findings from thematic content analysis of participants’ experiences suggested meaningful relief from anxiety over time, especially with regard to such themes as physicality, contentment, relaxation, breath control, mindfulness, transcendence and spirituality. Although further randomised controlled studies with larger samples are needed, this research provided some systematic evidence for yoga therapy as a significant and relatively cost effective intervention for anxiety reduction. Key Words: Yoga, therapy, anxiety, stress.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A PILOT STUDY OF GROUP MINDFULNESS-BASED COGNITIVE THERAPY (MBCT) FOR COMBAT VETERANS WITH POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) Veterans with chronic combat posttraumatic stress disorder seeking treatment at a VA... | 2013 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual comparison group | n = 37 |
| Being present in the face of existential threat: The role of trait mindfulness in reducing defensive responses to mortality salience. | 2010 | Experimental study | |
| Neural correlates of mindfulness meditation-related anxiety relief Healthy adults with no prior meditation experience | 2013 | Within-subjects experimental study | n = 15 |
| Intensive mindfulness training-related changes in cognitive and emotional experience Community adults | 2009 | Quasi-experimental and longitudinal | n = 69 |
| Prospective examination of synthetic 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine inhalation: effects on salivary IL-6, cortisol levels, affect, and non-judgment Volunteers | 2019 | Within-subjects experimental study | n = 11 |