Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of hatha yoga on decreasing the psychological symptoms of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder and on increasing empowerment among low-income women who are survivors of domestic violence. This study also sought to understand the subjective experiences of the participants. Method. A sample of 14 women, ranging from 26 to 51 years of age served as participants. Participants were volunteers from domestic violence treatment programs in Southern California. The majority of participants were Latina (n=11, 78.6%). Three participants were White/Caucasian (21.4%). A total of 11 women completed the 6-week Hatha yoga intervention. Participants completed a packet including the following: (1) Demographic Information sheet, (2) Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), (3) PTSD Scale for Battered Women, and (4) Empowerment Scale. Qualitative data was collected at post-intervention by administering a qualitative feedback form. In addition, a focus group was conducted after all participants completed the yogic intervention. Results. Quantitative results indicated that there was a statistically significant decrease in symptoms of depression from pre-intervention to post-intervention within the experimental condition. Qualitative results indicated that all participants found the yoga intervention at least "somewhat" useful and "somewhat" enjoyable. In addition, content analysis of the data from the qualitative feedback form yielded five themes surrounding participants experiences with the yoga intervention: coping; life changes; improvements in psychological, emotional, and physical well-being; general appreciation, satisfaction, and optimism about efficacy of yoga; body awareness and improvement. Similar themes emerged from the analysis of the focus group reports. Discussion. The results of this study demonstrated that the participants found yoga useful, enjoyable, and noted changes within themselves and their relationships because of the yoga intervention. The results also indicate that yoga might be efficacious in the treatment of depressive symptoms. Implications for these findings are discussed.