A Critical Appraisal of a Yoga Intervention Program for PTSD Symptoms

This paper critiques a study on the effectiveness of a yoga intervention program for individuals with PTSD symptoms. The study found that yoga treatment enabled patients to master techniques to calm down, adapt to the mind and body level, become conscious of the thought process, and manage feelings. The paper concludes that yoga treatment is an effective intervention method of treatment for PTSD symptoms.

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Title page
Student Name:
HLSC122 Semester 2, 2018
Assessment 3: Critical appraisal of evidence
Word count: 1260
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Jindani, F. A., & Khalsa, G. F. S. (2015). A yoga intervention program for patients
suffering from symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder: A qualitative
descriptive study. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary
Medicine, 21(7), 401-408.
Introduction
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characteristic of psychological and
physiological distress which manifests itself in the form of lack of sleep, hallucinations
among others (First, 2010). The typical treatment methods for PTSD are prolonged
exposure and cognitive behavioral therapy. However, most of the health practitioners
have expressed dissatisfaction with these conventional approaches because they
worsen the PTSD conditions leading to treatment attrition (Kaminer & Eagle, 2017). This
prompted for the need for complementary treatment options for PTSD. Yoga is an
example of the most recommended intervention treatment for PTSD symptoms because
of its ability to incorporate both mind and body in treatment. This paper purposes to
critique the article by Jindani and Khalsa (2015) on the experiences of individuals with
PTSD symptoms undergoing yoga treatment to provide quality evidence for informed
decision making by Tasso.
Body
PART A
Authorship
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The authors Jindani and Khalsa have Ph.D. and BA qualifications respectively. A
doctorate academic qualifications imply that Jindani is an expert in his field of major
whereas a BA qualification implies that Khalsa is an educated fellow in his discipline.
Jindani has an affiliation with the CAMH in Toronto Canada. This means that the author
is not only qualified academically but also has experience in the discipline of addiction
and mental health. Khalsa is also associated to an institution of higher learning in faith
and spirituality in Toronto Canada. Despite his low academic qualification, the
experience gained from affiliation is informational in the study of mental health.
However, there is a possibility of the rise in conflicts in the study in relation to their
affiliations. The authors are examining the effectiveness of a yoga program in
individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) while at the same time they are
affiliated with mental health organizations. This is likely to be grounds for the bias of
their study when they come across matters that conflict the routine practice at their
centers of affiliations.
Research questions
The common PTSD interventions are cognitive behavioral therapy and extended
exposure treatments. However, most of the health care providers are reluctant in using
exposure therapies for fear of existing evidence that the worsen PTSD symptoms in
patients leading to treatment attrition (Kindt & van Emmerik, 2016). Additionally,
evidence shows a contraindication of exposure therapies in trauma survivors at the
beginning of the treatment because they are likely to refresh implied flashbacks or
bodily sensations thus re-traumatizing the patient instead of managing the trauma
(Thrasher, Power, Morant, Marks, & Dalgleish, 2010). Thrasher et al. observes that
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exposure intervention doesn’t lead to overall betterment in social, occupational
functioning and health. This has caused clinicians and researcher to shift their focus to
complimentary interventions for PTSD that regards the association between body and
mind. An example of such a complementary treatment is yoga (Mehta & Sharma, 2010).
Despite the existing known benefits of yoga to both the mind and body, very few
researches assess the qualitative experiences of those enrolled for the yoga
programme (Wahbeh, Senders, Neuendorf, & Cayton, 2014). This paper purposes to
investigate the experiences of people with PTSD symptoms enrolled in yoga
programme.
Research design
The qualitative study used a randomized control design (RCT) which is a trial in which
subjects are allocated to two groups (intervention and control group) in a random
manner. This design is the most appropriate for the study because it enables the
comparison of one treatment against another to establish superiority. Randomization
also reduces selection and allocation bias (Liamputtong, 2016).
Research Methods
Telephone interviews were used to recruit participants after completing the two months
KY program. The use of telephone interviews was most appropriate for the study
because it’s economical and efficient. It also enables the development of a rapport
between researchers and participants and thus enhancing the quality of data obtained.
However, this approach makes it challenging to maintain participant involvement
(Greenhalgh, Bidewell, Crisp, Lambros, & Warland, 2017). Data collection was
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accomplished by the use of a semi-structured telephone interview that was audio
recorded. The audio recording method of data collection ensures that no data is lost and
captures the actual experiences of the participants and thus increasing the validity and
reliability of the findings (Thissen, 2014). However, telephone interviews are dependent
on the suitability of the location of the respondent as the immediate environment can
affect the respondents’ response and yet the researcher has no control over it. This
further compromises the quality of the data (Thissen, 2014).
Data analysis was done using qualitative thematic analysis. This approach was most
applicable in the study because it is best suited for topics that have not been adequately
explored especially in the healthcare sector. Furthermore, the qualitative thematic
analysis allows for the rise of new themes which can be determined during analysis
(Liamputtong, 2016).
Results
The study found out that yoga treatment program enabled patients with PTSD
symptoms to master the techniques to calm down, adapt to the mind and body level,
become conscious of the thought process, and to manage feelings. The strategies
obtained in the exercise lead to skills of self-mastery and were found to be empowering,
reachable and effective. This outcome is essential in trauma-related programs because
self-mastery and individual regulation are fundamental in the re-learning of feedbacks
and conducts and to individually design body comfort. The study concluded that the
development of self-care techniques are essential in the treatment of PTSD symptoms.
Therefore, effective intervention for the treatment of trauma is that which combines both
the mind and body of which yoga is a perfect example. The outcomes show that yoga
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treatment enables the acquisition of self-care skills to people with PTSD symptoms and
can be learned and applied at home. Therefore, the study answered the research
question. The study was however without limitation. Some degree of intrinsic motivation
was needful for the respondents to complete the treatment program which was to last
for eight weeks. This aspect could discourage some of the participants and withdraw
from the study or become reluctant in providing the required information.
PART B
The evidence provided in the article would be most appropriate in practice. The
outcomes indicate that yoga strategies focus on self-care which improve healing and
accessibility. I would, therefore, apply yoga treatment strategies as an effective
treatment program of PTSD symptoms because these findings are not only based on
actual experiences of individuals with PTSD symptoms but have also been
substantiated in other studies. For example, Ford, Chapman, Connor, and Cruise
(2012) suggested that environmental adaptation and the sense of self-sufficiency
necessitates the need for individual understanding and emotions in addition to adequate
adaptive skills. However, the application of the research will be limited to the lack of
information on the elements of yoga group dynamics about the intervention and
specifics on group involvement (Jindani & Khalsa, 2015, p. 407).
Conclusion
The experiences of people with PTSD symptoms show that yoga treatment is much
more an effective intervention method of treatment. Yoga treatment strategies
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incorporate the aspects of mind and body that are not addressed in other conventional
treatment programs such as the prolonged exposure treatment. The participation of the
subjects with PTSD symptoms in the yoga group fostered the feelings of normalcy,
group support, and devotion to each other’s healing and development. Therefore, yoga
treatment is much more appropriate in the betterment of the quality of life for those
diagnosed with PTSD based on the convincing evidence demonstrated in the study.
Tasso can therefore, without doubt, undergo yoga treatment to relieve him of the PTSD
symptoms.
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suffering from symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder: A qualitative
descriptive study. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary
Medicine, 21(7), 401-408.
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