Effectiveness of a School-Based Yoga Program on Adolescent Mental Health, Stress Coping Strategies, and Attitudes Toward Violence: Findings From a High-Risk Sample

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a universal yoga-based social-emotional wellness promotion program, Transformative Life Skills, on indicators of adolescent emotional distress, prosocial behavior, and attitudes toward violence in a high-risk sample. Participants included 49 students attending an alternative education school in an urban inner-city school district. Results indicated that students who participated in the Transformative Life Skills program demonstrated significant reductions in anxiety, depression, and global psychological distress. Significant reductions in rumination, intrusive thoughts, physical arousal, and emotional arousal were reported as well. Students exposed to Transformative Life Skills reported being significantly less likely to endorse revenge-motivation orientations in response to interpersonal transgressions and reported overall less hostility than did students in the comparison condition. No significant improvements in somatization or general affect were found. Results of this pilot study provide evidence of the potential for Transformative Life Skills to influence important student social-emotional outcomes among high-risk youth. Limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• prevention
• education
• violence
• stress
• mental health
• mindfulness
• yoga