Yoga-based Psychotherapy Groups for Boys Exposed to Trauma in Urban Settings.

BACKGROUND: Children who experience abuse and neglect and are exposed to adverse life events are at risk of developing emotional and behavioral problems. They may display variable internalizing and externalizing symptoms, such as posttraumatic stress, depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and aggression. Yoga may be able to regulate body-brain pathways that cause stress following traumatic experiences, thereby reducing adverse mental and physical sequelae. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this preliminary study is to examine changes in functioning following meetings of a yoga-based psychotherapy group (YBPG) for boys with a history of interpersonal trauma exposure. METHODS/DESIGN: The study was a prospective, intervention cohort study. SETTING: The study occurred at an urban-based mental health center focusing on treatment of children exposed to interpersonal trauma in their communities and families. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were 10 boys, aged 8-12 y, who primarily were African-Americans (70%) and who had a history of trauma. INTERVENTION: The YBPG was a 12-wk, yoga-based, group therapy, integrated with mental health treatment that was trauma informed and evidence-based. OUTCOME MEASURES: Measures of attendance and interpersonal functioning-the Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale 2 (BERS-2) and patient satisfaction surveys-were collected. The pre- and post-YBPG, paired t test; Wilcoxon's signed rank test; and effect sizes were calculated to assess change in interpersonal functioning following the YBPG, as reported by the parents and children. RESULTS: The BERS-2 scores yielded clinically and statistically significant mean improvements on the parents' ratings of participants' (1) Interpersonal Strength, Intrapersonal Strength, and Family Involvement scores, with mean improvements on those subscales being 1.4 (P=.007), 1.9 (P=.012), and 1.4 (P=.045) points, respectively; and (2) Strength Index scores, with a mean improvement of 8.7 (P=.004). The effect size was in the large range. In addition to significant improvements posttreatment, the parents' mean rating score of their children's functioning was closer but still lower than the children's self-reports on all subscales. The attendance rate for the YBPG was among the highest for group therapies at the center. CONCLUSIONS: The study provided preliminary evidence for the feasibility of YBPG as an effective intervention for boys exposed to trauma in urban settings.

The role of collective self-esteem on anxious-depressed symptoms for Asian and Latino children of immigrants.

We conducted a 3-wave, longitudinal study to examine the role of ethnic collective self-esteem and United States (U.S.) collective self-esteem on anxious-depressed symptoms over time among Asian and Latino immigrant-origin adolescents (n = 171). Growth curve analysis revealed that anxious-depressed symptoms first decreased between 10th and 11th grade and then increased over time for both groups. Additionally higher levels of ethnic collective self-esteem were associated with lower levels of anxious-depressed symptoms only for Asian adolescents. There was a differing pattern for U.S. collective self-esteem such that for Latino adolescents, higher U.S. collective self-esteem was associated with higher anxious-depressed symptoms, whereas for Asian adolescents there was an inverse relationship with anxious-depressed symptoms. The results expand the literature on ethnic and U.S. collective self-esteem and their link to mental health. Implications of the findings for research in general, and for counseling immigrant youth and families in particular, are discussed.

The role of acculturative stress on mental health symptoms for immigrant adolescents: a longitudinal investigation.

Immigrant-origin adolescents represent the fastest growing segment of youth population in the United States, and in many urban schools they represent the majority of students. In this 3-wave longitudinal study, we explored trajectories of internalizing mental health symptoms (depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms). The participants included 332 urban-residing first-and second-generation immigrant adolescents (44% male). Participants were recruited in 10th grade (Mage = 16.20 years, SD = 1.19), and 2 additional waves of data were gathered in 12-month intervals. Both generational and racial/ethnic background of the participants reflected the general demographics of urban centers in the United States. With individual growth curve modeling, the results show significant decline in internalizing mental health problems during the high school years. At the same time, greater exposure to acculturative stress predicted significantly more withdrawn, somatic, and anxious/depressed symptoms. Gender and generation status differences in internalizing mental health problems were also identified.