An 8-week Yoga for Stress Management protocol significantly decreased stress (η²=0.11) and generalized anxiety (η²=0.31) while improving physiological regulation in first-year college students.
RCT (n=59)
Does a Yoga for Stress Management protocol improve psychological and physiological outcomes in first-year college students?
An 8-week yoga protocol significantly reduces psychological distress and improves physiological regulation, including diastolic blood pressure and heart rate variability, in first-year college students.
Effect estimate: η² = 0.11 (stress) (95% CI [1.26, 2.60] vs. [3.80, 6.12])
Yoga is a promising treatment for mental health, but its impact on first-year college students’ academic stress is not well understood. The present study presented a Yoga for Stress Management (YSM) protocol to examine its effects on psychological and physiological outcomes. Participants were randomly allocated to a yoga group (N = 27) or a control group (N = 32), with the yoga group participating in 45-minute sessions three times a week for eight weeks. Psychological measures indicated substantially larger decreases in stress (η² =.11, 95% CI 1.26, 2.60 vs. 3.80, 6.12), depression (η² =.11, 95% CI 1.05, 3.17 vs. 2.15, 4.65), and generalized anxiety (η² =.31, 95% CI 6.26, 8.62 vs. 11.28, 14.72) for the yoga group, with group × time interactions. Physiological benefits consisted of decreased diastolic blood pressure (η² =.30, 95% CI 73.48, 78.52 vs. 75.80, 80.66), greater root mean square successive difference (η² =.12, 95% CI 76.33, 92.87 vs. 56.68, 77.06), and greater alpha electroencephalography activity (η² =.20, 95% CI 0.36, 0.37 vs. 0.34, 0.37). Such results indicate that yoga successfully lessens psychological distress and improves physiological regulation among first-year college students.
Tripathi et al. (Wed,) conducted a rct in Academic stress and psychological distress (n=59). Yoga for Stress Management (YSM) protocol vs. Control group was evaluated on Psychological outcomes (stress, depression, generalized anxiety) and physiological outcomes (η² = 0.11 (stress), 95% CI [1.26, 2.60] vs. [3.80, 6.12]). An 8-week Yoga for Stress Management protocol significantly decreased stress (η²=0.11) and generalized anxiety (η²=0.31) while improving physiological regulation in first-year college students.