Martin, A.C., & Keats, M.R. (2014). The impact of yoga on quality of life and psychological distress in caregivers for patients with cancer. Oncology Nursing Forum, 41, 257–264.
To evaluate the effects of a six-week yoga intervention on caregivers’ overall quality of life and psychological distress
Caregivers participated in a particular type of yoga called vinyasa yoga (VY) for 150 minutes per week, which was conducted in two 75-minute sessions for six weeks. Each VY session included breathing exercises, meditation, poses, and a particular subtype of VY called savasana that promotes relaxation and relieves stress.
The overall attendance rate was 65%. Participants had a mean baseline distress score of 6.5 out of 10. A significant difference was seen in TMD scores from baseline to post-intervention (p = 0.002). Although no significant difference was seen in the physical component score of SF-36 from baseline to post-intervention, a significant difference was seen in the mental component scores of SF-36 from baseline to post-intervention (p = 0.018). The effect in the intended outcome for TMD scores and MCS was large.
Cancer caregivers may benefit mentally with reduction in psychological distress from VY.
VY seems to be a cost-effective approach to improve the quality of life and psychological distress in cancer caregivers. Nurses can encourage caregivers to participate in VY programs. RCTs with larger sample size are needed to find the true effect of yoga on cancer caregivers in terms of reducing psychological distress and improving quality of life.