A Systematic Review: Examination of Yoga-Based Interventions to Determine their Benefits and Effectiveness in Treating PTSD in Women

This systematic review was designed to examine yoga-based interventions to determine their benefits and effectiveness in treating Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in women. The review was set up using peer reviewed articles published after 2007. The databases Scopus, CINHAL, AMED, Health Source, PsychINFO and Pilots were systematically searched using the terms: “post-traumatic stress disorder” or “PTSD” and “yoga-based interventions” or “yoga interventions” or “yoga” or “mind-body therapy”. Out of these searches nine articles satisfied criteria for inclusion and were used in the final review. Three themes emerged from the research synthesis regarding how yoga-based interventions can be beneficial and effective for women in decreasing PTSD symptoms; 1) acceptance and being at peace, 2) empowerment and self-esteem, 3) centeredness and mindfulness. The research suggests the importance of utilizing mind-body therapist such as yoga-based interventions in treatment and healing for a PTSD diagnosis. Moving forward, more research is required with yoga-based intervention and women experiencing PTSD to better understand the therapeutic value of this type of intervention. Exploring the idea of culturally specific yoga-based interventions as well as reviewing these interventions with a broader scope of demographics are also important areas for further study