RESUMO
This quasi-experimental study investigates differences in the impact of school-based yoga interventions and mindfulness practices on psychological well-being impact factors in at-risk Hispanic adolescent high school students compared to similar students enrolled in traditional physical education classes. Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, experimental conditions were delivered virtually. The BRUMS and PANAS-C were utilized to assess psychological well-being constructs of mood and affect. Statistical analyses included Friedman's test for nonparametric data, comparisons of pre post change scores between yoga and physical education classes, and longitudinal data trends for each subscale from the study's inception to conclusion. The findings show that school-based yoga participants exhibited higher levels of improved mood and affect with large effect sizes than those enrolled in a standard physical education (PE) class during the 12 weeks of the intervention. Implications and further directions are discussed.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Children in Palestine may be at high risk for anxiety symptoms. However, access to mental health services is limited. Therefore, the objective of this study was to conduct a pilot randomized controlled trial to examine whether a guided audiovisual paced breathing intervention was feasible, acceptable, and improved anxiety symptoms in Palestinian children. METHODS: Students (6-10 years old) in an after-school program in Palestine were randomly assigned to the intervention or control condition. All participants completed a pre- and post-intervention measure of anxiety using the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale. Participants in the intervention completed 24 sessions over 8 weeks and rated breathing ease as well as pre- and post-session relaxation on a 5-point Likert scale. To examine condition differences in post-intervention anxiety, four analyses of covariance were conducted, adjusting for age, sex, and pre-intervention anxiety. RESULTS: A total of 144 participants (65.3% girls; Mage = 7.5 ± 1.2; 50% per condition) enrolled in the study. There were no differences in demographics or baseline anxiety between the two conditions (ps > .05). Participants reported that it was easy to breathe during the sessions (Ms = 4.1-4.7, SDs = 0.5-1.1). For all but the first session, participants reported being more relaxed after the breathing session than before (ps < .003). Post-intervention, participants in the intervention reported fewer anxiety symptoms compared to participants in the control condition (ps < .01). CONCLUSION: A guided paced breathing audiovisual intervention was feasible and had a significant positive impact on anxiety symptoms in Palestinian children compared to a control condition. Future research should examine whether the audiovisual guided breathing intervention significantly improves long-term outcomes.
