The Peace of Mind and Body Project: Treatment Development of Yoga for Anger Management in Incarcerated Adults
Condition: Anger; Aggression
MeSH terms: Aggression
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The investigators will conduct a pilot randomized clinical trial (n = 40) of hatha yoga vs. a
      health education group (attention control) for prisoners high in self-reported anger
      dysregulation. The investigators will assess feasibility and acceptability of the yoga
      program, the health education control group, and research procedures.
    

Detailed description: 
      In the criminal justice (CJ) system in the US, there are high rates of mental health and
      substance use disorders. Although prisons must provide treatment, the CJ system is
      resource-poor and the presenting problems of prisoners are diverse. To maximize efficiency in
      the CJ context, recent efforts focus adjunctive interventions on symptoms that are most
      detrimental to prisoners, and that are shared across diverse conditions. Of particular
      interest has been anger dysregulation, as this is prevalent in CJ-involved populations,
      contributing not only to distress and exacerbation of other mental health problems, but also
      to risk of aggression. Overt aggression further increases risk for prison behavioral
      infractions or placement in restraints or seclusion, and may delay parole or release
      decisions.

      There are many limitations to existing approaches to anger management in prison. The
      investigators propose that hatha yoga could serve as a useful adjunctive treatment for anger
      within prisons. In addition to preliminary research showing that yoga programs may improve
      anger regulation, research has also demonstrated benefits of yoga for related symptoms of
      depression, anxiety, and trauma-related emotion reactivity and arousal. Yoga may be delivered
      in a relatively low-cost fashion. Finally, prisoners may view yoga as less stigmatizing than
      more traditional anger management interventions, particularly given its focus on physical
      body awareness/movement and on overall wellness.

      Despite a recent proliferation of yoga programs for various problems in prisons, empirical
      research on this topic is minimal, with a small number of studies limited by significant
      methodological concerns. The investigators propose to conduct systematic treatment
      development research that would prepare us to study whether yoga (vs. a health education
      control group) is an effective adjunctive treatment for prisoners with anger dysregulation.

      The investigators will conduct a pilot randomized clinical trial (n = 40) of hatha yoga vs. a
      health education group (attention control) for prisoners high in self-reported anger
      dysregulation. Participants will be enrolled in the active intervention for 10 weeks, and
      then followed for 8 weeks. The investigators will assess feasibility and acceptability of the
      yoga program, the health education control group, and research procedures. To assess safety,
      they will track all adverse events in a structured fashion. The investigators will
      iteratively revise manuals and materials, making final revisions at the end of the pilot RCT.
      If successful, this project will provide us with materials, experience, and pilot data needed
      for the next stage of this line of research, namely, a fully powered RCT.
    

Intervention name(s): Hatha Yoga; Health Education
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Weekly hatha yoga classes lasting 10 weeks.; Weekly health education classes lasting 10 weeks.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Intervention model description: Participants will be randomly assigned to either a 10 week hatha yoga class or health education class.
Masking: Single (Investigator)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Yoga; Health Education; Aggression; Anger; Incarceration