From Surviving to Thriving: A Trauma-Informed Yoga Intervention for Adolescents and Educators in Rural Montana

Abstract

(1) Background: Due to the mental health crisis that has spiraled since the onset of COVID-19, particularly among the nation’s youth, the purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of a novel, school-based mental health intervention for high school students (ages 15–17 years). This project’s main aim was to determine which intervention modality was more effective with students across two school districts with varying degrees of rurality (in-person delivery vs. remote delivery). A secondary aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of a remotely delivered, concurrent intervention for educators across both school districts. This study took place in rural southwestern Montana. (2) Methods: Utilizing a 6-week, trauma-informed yoga intervention, comparisons of mental and physical health outcomes were performed using cohort data drawn from participants’ physiological data and validated mental health survey measures. (3) Results: While physiological results were mixed across experimental groups, mental health outcomes were overwhelmingly positive for all groups. Additionally, educators reported improvements in career satisfaction and burnout levels. (4) Conclusions: Findings indicate a great deal of promise with this intervention in improving mental health outcomes for both students and educators. Moreover, a face-to-face intervention for students showed dramatic improvement in physiological stress indicators.