Yoga-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Y-CBT) Benefits Older Adults with Anxiety

ABSTRACT

Older adults often experience loss of partnership, illness, and declining health which can contribute to anxiety and depression. This can be a significant public health concern. Senior centers play an important role in providing support and community which may reduce these symptoms. Yoga-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Y-CBT) is an innovative approach that specifically targets symptoms of anxiety and depression. Within a group model, Y-CBT integrates cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with chair yoga. Y-CBT has demonstrated significant reductions in anxiety and co-occurring depression for adults receiving services at an outpatient behavioral health center. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Y-CBT for older adults attending a senior center setting. Thirty-seven older adults (age 62+) from three senior centers enrolled in the study. After the Y-CBT intervention, anxiety improved (p < .0056) with a large effect size (g = 0.88). Though not significant, depression also improved (g = 0.418), with many participants reporting reduced levels of depression into the minimal or clinically non-significant ranges after, as compared with before the Y-CBT experience. These results indicate that Y-CBT may be a promising approach for the symptoms of anxiety and co-occurring depression which older adults experience.

KEYWORDS:

• Older adults
• anxiety
• depression
• CBT
• yoga

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Riverside Community Care staff Marsha Medalie, CEO and Satya Montgomery, COO for their help in making this project possible. We also want to thank Kimberly Fisher, VP of Behavioral Health, Sandy Watmough and Cindi Scrimgeour for all their work on this project as well as the many interns who contributed to this work through the years.

Disclosure statement

There are no competing interests for the MetroWest Health Foundation or for Riverside Community Care, a non-profit behavioral health organization both of which supported this work. Neither corporation had a role in the analysis of data or in the drafting of the manuscript. Greiner-Ferris and Khalsa are involved in Y-CBT research, courses, and practice. Julie Greiner-Ferris works for Riverside. Manjit Khalsa worked for Riverside at the time of the study. They published: The Yoga-CBT Workbook for Anxiety (New Harbinger Publications) in 2017. Paul Block has no conflicts of interest with respect to this publication.

Data

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, [JGF], upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported in part by Riverside Community Care and a grant from the MetroWest Health Foundation, grant number [34-11].