Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a chronic, debilitating anxiety disorder that is highly prevalent among U.S. military veterans. Yoga, defined to include physical postures (asana) and mindfulness and meditation, is being increasingly used as an adjunctive treatment for PTSD and other psychological disorders. No research or administrative data have detailed the use of these services in Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) 170 PTSD treatment programs. Methods: One hundred twenty-five program coordinators or designated staff completed an 81-item survey of their program's use of complementary and alternative medicine modalities in the past year. This report describes data from a subset of 30 questions used to assess the prevalence, nature, and context of the use of yoga, mindfulness, and meditation other than mindfulness practices. Results: Results revealed that these practices are widely offered in VA specialized PTSD treatment programs and that there is great variability in the context and nature of how they are delivered. Conclusions: Understanding how yoga is used by these programs may inform ongoing efforts to define and distinguish yoga therapy as a respected therapeutic discipline and to create patient-centered care models that mindfully fulfill the unmet needs of individuals with mental health issues, including veterans with PTSD.
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1 January 2012
Research Article|
October 15 2012
The Use of Yoga in Specialized VA PTSD Treatment Programs
Daniel Libby;
Daniel Libby
1
Office of Academic Affiliations, Advanced Fellowship Program in Mental Illness Research and Treatment, Department of Veterans Affairs (MIRECC)
2
VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven (VACHS)
3
Evaluation Division, National Center for PTSD (NCPTSD)
4
Veterans Yoga Project, Newington, CT
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Felice Reddy;
Felice Reddy
2
VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven (VACHS)
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Corey Pilver;
Corey Pilver
3
Evaluation Division, National Center for PTSD (NCPTSD)
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Rani Desai
Rani Desai
1
Office of Academic Affiliations, Advanced Fellowship Program in Mental Illness Research and Treatment, Department of Veterans Affairs (MIRECC)
2
VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven (VACHS)
3
Evaluation Division, National Center for PTSD (NCPTSD)
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Int J Yoga Therap (2012) 22 (1): 79–88.
Citation
Daniel Libby, Felice Reddy, Corey Pilver, Rani Desai; The Use of Yoga in Specialized VA PTSD Treatment Programs. Int J Yoga Therap 1 January 2012; 22 (1): 79–88. doi: https://doi.org/10.17761/ijyt.22.1.v71h07m12412k218
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