Yoga positively affected well-being and reduced medical students’ stress
Research Study At A Glance
The Research Question Asked
Can yoga reduce the negative effects of stress for students in medical school?
Type of Study
Scoping literature review study
Methods
The researchers conducted a comprehensive literature review of all peer-reviewed journal articles on yoga’s effects on medical school students using the keywords yoga, asana, pranayama, mindfulness, medical school, medical student, and medical education.
Results
The review reported that yoga was associated with positive effects on medical students’ stress levels and overall psychological well-being.
Conclusion
Yoga reduced the perceived stress of students in medical school.
Background
Yoga’s health and wellness benefits are well-documented, particularly when it comes to yoga’s positive effects on stress. Negative effects of chronic stress are a constant part of modern life for many subsets of the U.S. population. Even college students experience significant levels of stress as they navigate the challenges of succeeding in their area of study, paying for their education, and figuring out their next steps after school.
One group of students in particular is notorious for the inordinate amount of stress they are put under. Those are medical school students. Students in medical school are required to work long hours in often high-pressure situations for several years before completing their programs. This chronic stress load can lead to decreased overall physical and mental health. In particular, the high stress can lead to increased depression and burnout.
As yoga has been helpful for managing chronic stress for many other populations, the researchers on this study wanted to examine whether incorporating yoga into medical school programs would help medical students cope with the high chronic stress loads in school.
Research question
Can yoga reduce the negative effects of stress for students in medical school?
Research methods
The research team searched peer-reviewed literature for relevant individual studies using the PubMed, SCOPUS, CINAHL, and AMED databases. They searched for articles that evaluated the effects of yoga on medical students when they were enrolled in U.S. medical schools, and the yoga programs were incorporated within the medical schools they attended. They used the following keywords in their search: yoga, asana, pranayama, mindfulness, medical school, medical student, and medical education. The researchers included studies published between 1998, the first year that yoga was discussed in medical school education, and 2020.
Results
A total of eight studies were included in the review. Each individual study primarily used a pre/post survey design, which evaluated the effects before and after a yoga program of several weeks. The specific yoga treatments used varied among the individual studies. Yoga treatments varied from 60 to 90 minutes per session, and the length of individual study duration varied from 6 to 11 weeks. Individual studies examined yoga’s effects on medical students who were attending medical school in the U.S. Each individual study incorporated yoga into the medical school program with a focus on one or more of three intentions: recreational, research, or educational.
One or more of the individual studies reported the following effects of yoga on medical students when yoga classes were incorporated into a medical school program:
- Significant increase in self-regulation and self-compassion
- Increase in positive mood states and decrease in psychological distress compared to a control intervention
- Decrease in perceived stress, and increase in feelings of peace, focus, and endurance after the completion of a yoga program, when compared to before beginning the yoga program
- Educational yoga intervention was associated with an increase in post-yoga program test scores on material covered in classes
Why is this relevant to yoga practitioners?
Stress and its negative effects are nearly ubiquitous in our modern world. We’re all juggling a lot these days, and tools for managing our daily stresses are in high demand. The stressors that we experience on a daily basis are unlikely to go away any time soon. So, for the sake of our physical and mental well-being, we need strategies to manage our stress.
Yoga practice has been consistently found to reduce the negative effects of chronic stress. Populations from pregnant people to teenagers to executives have incorporated yoga practices into their week and experienced a significant reduction in the symptoms of chronic stress. It’s no surprise that a yoga practice benefited stressed medical school students. Those findings reinforce what we already know about how yoga contributes to our equanimity in the midst of all life’s challenges.
Conclusion
Yoga was associated with a decrease in negative symptoms of stress and an increase in positive psychological states for medical students when incorporated into their medical school programs. No adverse effects were reported. Yoga seems likely to function well as a complementary practice for helping medical school students manage the significant stresses and long hours required to complete medical school.