“We really need this”: Trauma-informed yoga for veteran women with a history of military sexual trauma
APA Citation:
Braun, T. D., Uebelacker, L. A., Ward, M., Holzhauer, C. G., McCallister, K., & Abrantes, A. (2021). ““We really need this”: Trauma-informed yoga for veteran women with a history of military sexual trauma Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 59, 102729. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2021.102729
Focus:
Trauma
Veterans
Physical health
Branch of Service:
Multiple branches
Military Affiliation:
Veteran
Subject Affiliation:
Veteran
Population:
Adulthood (18 yrs & older)
Young adulthood (18 - 29 yrs)
Thirties (30 - 39 yrs)
Middle age (40 - 64 yrs)
Authors:
Braun, Tosca D., Uebelacker, Lisa A., Ward, Mariana, Holzhauer, Cathryn Glanton, McCallister, Kelly, Abrantes, Ana
Abstract:
Objectives Up to 70% of women service members in the United States report military sexual trauma (MST); many develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and co-occurring disorders. Trauma-informed yoga (TIY) is suggested to improve psychiatric symptoms and shown feasible and acceptable in emerging research, yet no work has evaluated TIY in MST survivors. The current quality improvement project aimed to examine TIY’s feasibility, acceptability, and perceived effects in the context of MST. Design Collective case series (N = 7) Setting New England Vet Center Interventions Extant TIY program (Mindful Yoga Therapy) adapted for Veteran women with MST in concurrent psychotherapy. Main outcome measures Attrition and attendance; qualitative exit interview; validated self-report measure of negative affect pre/post each yoga class, and symptom severity assessments and surveys before (T1; Time 1) and after the yoga program (T2; Time 2). Results Feasibility was demonstrated and women reported TIY was acceptable. In qualitative interviews, women reported improved symptom severity, diet, exercise, alcohol use, sleep, and pain; reduced medication use; and themes related to stress reduction, mindfulness, and self-compassion. Regarding quantitative change, results suggest acute reductions in negative affect following yoga sessions across participants, as well as improved affect dysregulation, shame, and mindfulness T1 to T2. Conclusions TIY is both feasible and acceptable to Veteran women MST survivors in one specific Vet Center, with perceived behavioral health benefits. Results suggest TIY may target psychosocial mechanisms implicated in health behavior change (stress reduction, mindfulness, affect regulation, shame). Formal research should be conducted to confirm these QI project results.
Publication Type:
Article
Keywords:
military sexual trauma, mindfulness, PTSD, Veterans, Women, yoga