1. Benefits of Yoga as a Wellness Practice in a Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care Setting: If You Build It, Will They Come?

Objective: Veterans evaluated at the WRIISC present with multiple and chronic health conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), pain, and fatigue. These patients often experience poor symptom relief. A pilot project was designed to determine whether such veterans would practice yoga as an adjunct to conventional medical care. We also used a range of standard screening measures to examine the health profile of individuals. Methods: Veterans were referred by VA clinicians to a WRIISC yoga clinic established in 2009. Two classes were offered per week. Veterans were assessed at baseline and after 12 classes with the PTSD Ch ecklist (PCL), Short F orm McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-12), and the Flinders Fatigue Scale (FFS). Results: There have been 293 patient referrals so far and more than 1,824 yoga contact hours. Detailed data were collected on 10 veterans age 53–85 yrs (6 males). The screening instruments revealed nonsignificant benefits of yoga across the classes (p > .05). Furthermore, the PCL scores showed that four patients (40%) screened positive for PTSD (mean severity score = 40.9, range = 18–70). In addition, the PCL showed positive correlations with measures of pain (FS-12; Spearman’s rho = .76, p < .01), and chronic fatigue (FFS; Spearman’s rho = .94, p < .001). Similar results were found for equivalent correlations after 12 yoga classes. Conclusion: This pilot study demonstrates that veterans accept yoga as a complementary treatment to their regular medical care. Of possible significance is the observation that 40% of the patients screened positive for PTSD. The reasons for this are not clear but may be because such patients were referred at a higher rate. It is also possible that PTSD patients seek out yoga classes as an effective means of treating their symptoms. The strong correlations between measures of PTSD, pain, and fatigue suggest far-reaching implications for the integration of yoga in the treatment of veterans with a broad array of disorders exacerbated by stress. 2. Yoga-based Psychotherapy Group With Urban Youth Exposed to Trauma