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Abstract

Background and objectives

There is large evidence of the positive effect of yoga in mental health disorders, mainly anxiety and depression. However, the studies on the role of yoga in schizophrenia and intellectual disability are sparse and inconclusive. The objective of this study is exploring the role of a specific yoga intervention, based on the Gitananda Rishiculture Asthanga Yoga Tradition, in improving the quality of life (QoL) of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and intellectual disability in a mental health institution of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Spain).

Methods

Patients diagnosed with schizophrenia (n=5) and patients diagnosed with intellectual disability (n=4) followed a yoga intervention once a week in two different 45 minutes sessions over the course of five months. The Recovering Quality of Life (ReQoL-20) was used to assess the quality of life. A one-group pretest- post-test quasi-experimental design was used.

Results

A total of 3 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia (60%) and 4 patients diagnosed with intellectual disability (75%) showed a reliable clinical improvement of QoL after the yoga intervention. All the patients reported a higher or equal level of physical health after the yoga intervention.

Conclusion

The preliminary results provide some evidence for suggesting that yoga could be considered as an adjuvant therapy for enhancing the QoL and helping in the treatment of schizophrenia and intellectual disability for residential patients in mental health institutions. The specific yoga intervention of the current study could help researchers in developing yoga protocols appropriated for schizophrenia and intellectual disability.

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