Trauma Adapted Yoga as an Adjunct to Psychiatric Treatment on an Adolescent Inpatient Unit

PurposeTrauma-adapted yoga (TAY) is a yoga adaptation developed for trauma-exposed populations that emphasizes autonomy and targets nervous system regulation. This study evaluates TAY's impact on distress and psychiatric symptoms over the course of a psychiatric hospitalization, building on the results of a prior feasibility study that suggested TAY reduced participants' anxiety and emotional pain immediately following group sessions.MethodsThis is a retrospective study. Adolescents voluntarily joined either a yoga or non-yoga (control) group. TAY was offered twice weekly alongside standard care. The Youth Outcome Questionnaire 2.0 was administered at admission and discharge to measure patient distress and assess change over the course of hospitalization. Participants also completed ratings of anxiety, emotional pain, and physical pain pre-and-post-yoga sessions.ResultsOver 27 weeks, 129 adolescents participated with 112 opting into the yoga group. Participants were predominantly female, white, and non-Hispanic. Major Depressive Disorder was the most common discharge diagnosis; 71% of participants reported trauma histories. Yoga participation significantly reduced Y-OQ scores whereas controls had no significant reductions over the course of hospitalization.ConclusionFindings show TAY practice during psychiatric hospitalization may reduce overall distress and imply a need for future inpatient standard programming and research.