Abstract
Objective:
To assess the effects of a Hatha Yoga intervention on anxiety, subjective well-being, and attention levels of caregivers of children and adolescents with cancer, admitted to a public hospital in the city of Vitória, state of Espírito Santo, Brazil.
Methods:
A randomized controlled trial was performed. Thirty-six volunteers were allocated to clinical (participated in 4 to 6 Hatha Yoga practices) or control groups and answered the questionnaires State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Subjective Well-Being Scale, and Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale before and after the intervention period. Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon nonparametric analyses were performed to compare the groups to each other and at different moments.
Results:
The individuals' moderate anxiety state decreased in the clinical (p = 0.001) and control (p = 0.014) groups so that while the control group continued to present moderate anxiety, the clinical group presented low anxiety after the intervention. Positive affects increased, and adverse effects decreased in the clinical group (p <0.05). There were no relevant changes in satisfaction with life and attention levels in the two groups (p> 0.05).
Conclusion and implications for practice:
Hatha Yoga is a useful tool for healthcare professionals and caregivers in short-term hospital care to reduce anxiety and improve subjective well-being.
Keywords:
Cancer; Caregivers; Yoga; Anxiety; Mindfulness