A systematic review of yoga interventions for helping health professionals and students

• Published in: Complementary therapies in medicine 2021-05, Vol.58, p.102704-102704, Article 102704
• Main Authors: Ciezar-Andersen, Sylwia D., Hayden, K. Alix, King-Shier, Kathryn M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Back pain; Bias; Chronic illnesses; Clinical trials; Dentists; Exercise; Healthcare professional students; Healthcare professionals; Intervention; Medical personnel; Meditation; Mental health; Mindfulness; Nurses; Pain; Physical health; Physiology; Professions; Reviews; Searching; Stress; Students; Systematic review; Yoga
• ISSN: 0965-2299; 1873-6963
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2021.102704

•Helping Health Professionals (HHP) an students are among the highest risk occupational groups for compromised mental and physical health.•To examine the effectiveness of yoga interventions at ameliorating at mental and physical disorders among HHPs and students, an exhaustive systematic search was conducted.•Most frequently reported findings of yoga interventions included a reduction in stress, anxiety, depression, and musculoskeletal pain.•Mental and physical benefits can be obtained through implementation of yoga interventions for HHPs and HHP students across a variety of settings and backgrounds.•Researchers would benefit from following recommended guidelines for the design and reporting of yoga interventions to improve study quality and rigour. Helping Health Professionals (HHP) and HHP students are among the highest risk occupational groups for compromised mental and physical health. There is a paucity of information regarding preventive interventions for mental and physical health in this group of healthcare providers. The objective of this review was to examine the effectiveness of yoga interventions for the prevention and reduction of mental and physical disorders among HHPs and HHP students. An exhaustive systematic search was conducted in May 2020. Databases searched in the OVID interface included: MEDLINE(R) and Epub Ahead of Print, In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations and Daily, Embase, and PsycINFO. EbscoHost databases searched included: CINAHL Plus with Full Text, SPORTDiscus with Full Text, Alt HealthWatch, Education Research Complete, SocINDEX with Full Text, ERIC, and Academic Search Complete. Scopus was also searched. The search yielded 4,973 records, and after removal of duplicates 3197 records remained. Using inclusion and exclusion criteria, titles and abstracts were screened and full text articles (n = 82) were retrieved and screened. Twenty-five studies were identified for inclusion in this review. Most frequently reported findings of yoga interventions in this population included a reduction in stress, anxiety, depression, and musculoskeletal pain. It is our conclusion that mental and physical benefits can be obtained through implementation of yoga interventions for HHPs and HHP students across a variety of settings and backgrounds. However, researchers would benefit from following recommended guidelines for the design and reporting of yoga interventions to improve study quality and rigour.