Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online 2024-12
Trauma-Informed Yoga: A Capacity Building and Wellness Strengthening Intervention for Female Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence and Affiliative Staff
This evaluation examines the impacts of Exhale to Inhale's trauma-informed yoga (TIY) on stress, somatic complaints, and self-efficacy among female survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) and affiliated staff in community-based domestic violence agencies. A two-phase study design was employed, the first of which collected data from in-person group classes and the second from remotely taught classes due to COVID-19 safety restrictions. Collected over 3 years, 526 female survivors (n = 361) and staff (n = 165) from 66 domestic violence agencies completed surveys revealing improved stress, somatic complaints, and self-efficacy following a single TIY session. TIY serves as a capacity-building intervention that is suitable and adaptable for survivors of IPV and the staff at domestic violence agencies.
BeckesL.CoanJ. A. (2011). Social baseline theory: The role of social proximity in emotion and economy of action. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 5(12), 976–988. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-9004.2011.00400.x
3.
BenightC. C.Harding-TaylorA. S.MidboeA. M.DurhamR. L. (2004). Development and psychometric validation of a domestic violence coping self-efficacy measure (DV-CSE). Journal of Traumatic Stress, 17(6), 505–508. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10960-00405799-3
4.
BowsteadJ. C. (2017). Segmented journeys, fragmented lives: Women’s forced migration to escape domestic violence. Journal of Gender-Based Violence; Bristol, 1, 45–60. https://doi.org/10.1332/239868017X14912933953340
5.
BraunT. D.UebelackerL. A.WardM.HolzhauerC. G.McCallisterK.AbrantesA. (2021). We really need this”: Trauma-informed yoga for veteran women with a history of military sexual trauma. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 59, 102729. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2021.102729
6.
BrownC.O’BrienK. M. (1998). Understanding stress and burnout in shelter workers. Professional Psychology, Research and Practice, 29(4), 383–385. https://doi.org/10.1037/0735-7028.29.4.383
7.
BrownC.SerpeC.BrammerS. (2020). The experiences of domestic violence shelter workers and their perceptions of shelter services: A preliminary study. Violence and Victims, 35(4), 539–561. https://doi.org/10.1891/VV-D-18-00082
8.
CayirE.SpencerM.BillingsD.Hilfinger MessiasD. K.RobillardA.CunninghamT. (2021). The only way we’ll be successful”: Organizational factors that influence psychosocial well-being and self-care among advocates working to address gender-based violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 36(23-24), 11327–11355. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260519897340
9.
ClarkC. J.Lewis-DmelloA.AndersD.ParsonsA.Nguyen-FengV.HennL.EmersonD. (2014). Trauma-sensitive yoga as an adjunct mental health treatment in group therapy for survivors of domestic violence: A feasibility study. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 20(3), 152–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2014.04.003
10.
DeckerJ. T.BrownJ. L. C.AshleyW.LipscombA. E. (2019). Mindfulness, meditation, and breathing exercises: Reduced anxiety for clients and self-care for social work interns. Social Work with Groups, 42(4), 308–322. https://doi.org/10.1080/01609513.2019.1571763
11.
DuraiswamyG.ThirthalliJ.NagendraH. R.GangadharB. N. (2007). Yoga therapy as an add-on treatment in the management of patients with schizophrenia–a randomized controlled trial. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 116(3), 226–232. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0447.2007.01032.x
FordJ. D. (2017). Emotion regulation and skills-based interventions. In GoldS. N. (Ed.), APA handbook of trauma psychology: Trauma practice (Vol. 2, pp. 227–252). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000020-011.
14.
FriezeI. H.NewhillC. E.FuscoR. (2020). Examining the service provider: Challenges (and successes) in assisting victims of violence and the need for self-care. In FriezeI. H.NewhillC. E.FuscoR. (Eds.), Dynamics of family and intimate partner violence (pp. 353–385). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42608-8_10.
15.
GoodmanL. A.SmythK. F.BorgesA. M.SingerR. (2009). When crises collide: How intimate partner violence and poverty intersect to shape women’s mental health and coping?Trauma, Violence & Abuse, 10(4), 306–329. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838009339754
16.
GrovesR. M. (2011). Three eras of survey research. Public Opinion Quarterly, 75(5), 861–871. https://doi.org10.2196/jmir.7331 https://doi.org/10.1093/poq/nfr057
17.
HölzelB. K.CarmodyJ.EvansK. C.HogeE. A.DusekJ. A.MorganL.PitmanR. K.LazarS. W. (2010). Stress reduction correlates with structural changes in the amygdala. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 5(1), 11–17. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsp034
18.
HölzelB. K.CarmodyJ.VangelM.CongletonC.YerramsettiS. M.GardT.LazarS. W. (2011). Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density. Psychiatry Research, 191(1), 36–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pscychresns.2010.08.006
19.
HölzelB. K.LazarS. W.GardT.Schuman-OlivierZ.VagoD. R.OttU. (2011). How does mindfulness meditation work? Proposing mechanisms of action from a conceptual and neural perspective. Perspectives on Psychological Science: A Journal of the Association for Psychological Science, 6(6), 537–559. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691611419671
IlosonC.MöllerA.SundfeldtK.BernhardssonS. (2021). Symptoms within somatization after sexual abuse among women: A scoping review. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, 100(4), 758–767. https://doi.org/10.1111/aogs.14084
MacyR. J.JonesE.GrahamL. M.RoachL. (2018). Yoga for trauma and related mental health problems: A meta-review with clinical and service recommendations. Trauma, Violence & Abuse, 19(1), 35–57. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838015620834
24.
Nguyen-FengV. N.ClarkC. J.ButlerM. E. (2019). Yoga as an intervention for psychological symptoms following trauma: A systematic review and quantitative synthesis. Psychological Services, 16(3), 513–523. https://doi.org/10.1037/ser0000191
25.
Nguyen-FengV. N.MorrissetteJ.Lewis-DmelloA.MichelH.AndersD.WagnerC.ClarkC. J. (2019b). Trauma-sensitive yoga as an adjunctive mental health treatment for survivors of intimate partner violence: A qualitative examination. Spirituality in Clinical Practice, 6(1), 27–43. https://doi.org/10.1037/scp0000177
26.
OzerE. M.BanduraA. (1990). Mechanisms governing empowerment effects: A self-efficacy analysis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 58(3), 472–486. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.58.3.472
27.
PilkingtonK.KirkwoodG.RampesH.RichardsonJ. (2005). Yoga for depression: The research evidence. Journal of Affective Disorders, 89(1-3), 13–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2005.08.013
28.
PolusnyM. A.ErbesC. R.ThurasP.MoranA.LambertyG. J.CollinsR. C.RodmanJ. L.LimK. O. (2015). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for posttraumatic stress disorder among veterans: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, 314(5), 456–465. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2015.8361
29.
PriceM.SpinazzolaJ.MusicaroR.TurnerJ.SuvakM.EmersonD.van der KolkB. (2017). Effectiveness of an extended yoga treatment for women with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 23(4), 300–309. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2015.0266
30.
RazaviT. (2001). Self-report measures: an overview of concerns and limitations of questionnaire use in occupational stress research. 23. https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/35712
31.
RazzaR. A.LinsnerR. U.Bergen-CicoD.CarlsonE.ReidS. (2019). The feasibility and effectiveness of mindful yoga for preschoolers exposed to high levels of trauma. Journal of Child and Family Studies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-019-01582-7
32.
RhodesA.SpinazzolaJ.van der KolkB. (2016). Yoga for adult women with chronic PTSD: A long-term follow-up study. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 22(3), 189–196. https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/acm.2014.0407
33.
RousseauD.Cook-CottoneC. (2018). Trauma-informed yoga training in Kenya: A qualitative pilot study on feasibility and acceptability. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 40, 53–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2018.07.010
34.
SalloumA.KondratD. C.JohncoC.OlsonK. R. (2015). The role of self-care on compassion satisfaction, burnout and secondary trauma among child welfare workers. Children and Youth Services Review, 49, 54–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2014.12.023
35.
SlatteryS. M.GoodmanL. A. (2009). Secondary traumatic stress among domestic violence advocates: Workplace risk and protective factors. Violence Against Women, 15(11), 1358–1379. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801209347469
36.
SmithC.HancockH.Blake-MortimerJ.EckertK. (2007). A randomised comparative trial of yoga and relaxation to reduce stress and anxiety. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 15(2), 77–83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2006.05.001
37.
SmoyerA. B. (2016). Being on the mat: A process evaluation of trauma-informed yoga for women with substance use disorders. Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, 43, 61. https://doi.org/10.15453/0191-5096.4045
38.
SpinazzolaJ.RhodesA. M.EmersonD.EarleE.MonroeK. (2011). Application of yoga in residential treatment of traumatized youth. Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 17(6), 431–444. https://doi.org/10.1177/1078390311418359
StaplesJ. K.HamiltonM. F.UddoM. (2013). A yoga program for the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans. Military Medicine, 178(8), 854–860. https://doi.org/10.7205/MILMED-D-12-00536
41.
SullivanC. M.VirdenT. (2017). An eight state study on the relationships among domestic violence shelter services and residents’ self-efficacy and hopefulness. Journal of Family Violence, 32(8), 741–750. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-017-9930-7
42.
TellesS.SinghN.JoshiM.BalkrishnaA. (2010). Posttraumatic stress symptoms and heart rate variability in Bihar flood survivors following yoga: A randomized controlled study. BMC Psychiatry, 10, 18. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-10-18
43.
TibbittsD. C.AicherS. A.SuggJ.HandloserK.EismanL.BoothL. D.BradleyR. D. (2021). Program evaluation of trauma-informed yoga for vulnerable populations. Evaluation and Program Planning, 88, 101946. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2021.101946
44.
TuttyL. M. (2006). Effective practices in sheltering women leaving violence in intimate relationships: Phase II. YWCA Canada.
WestJ.LiangB.SpinazzolaJ. (2017). Trauma sensitive yoga as a complementary treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder: A qualitative descriptive analysis. International Journal of Stress Management, 24(2), 173–195. https://doi.org/10.1037/str0000040
ZlotnickC.JohnsonD. M.KohnR. (2006). Intimate partner violence and long-term psychosocial functioning in a national sample of American women. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 21(2), 262–275. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260505282564
