A Trauma-Informed Approach for Positive Youth Development for Montana Students

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Given the prevalence of suicide and mental health issues in rural Montana, this project is intended to help mitigate stressors that may contribute to poor behavioral and mental health in high school-aged children. The immediate goal is to determine viability of a partnership with a rural southwestern Montana school and test the feasibility of a piloted implementation of a trauma-informed yoga intervention to address behavioral health outcomes and positive youth development.

Official Title
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A Trauma-Informed Approach for Positive Youth Development for Montana

Conditions
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Depression, Anxiety, Adolescent Behavior, Stress

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Trauma-Informed Yoga


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Students enrolled in a specific weight training class at predetermined high school in rural Montana Exclusion Criteria: Students not enrolled in a specific weight training class at predetermined high school in rural Montana

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 11 Years
Maximum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Experimental Group<br>18 high school students in a weight training class will be assigned to this experimental group and will receive the one-hour intervention twice weekly for 8 weeks. | Behavioral: Trauma-Informed Yoga<br>* Trauma-Informed Yoga practice held within a high school weight training class<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Salivary Cortisol Testing | Students will provide a saliva sample in which cortisol levels will be analyzed through salivary assay kits (through Salimetrics.com). Samples will be collected on the first day of the intervention, halfway through the intervention, and on the last day of the intervention to determine if the intervention has improved stress levels (as indicated by a reduction in cortisol levels). A biostatistician will provide analysis and conclusion of these samples at the conclusion of the study. | Baseline and 4 weeks (Midpoint) | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Anxiety Scale | This 7 item questionnaire is based on a likert scale of 0 (not at all) to 3 (nearly every day) for items related to anxiety disorders. The lowest score is a zero and the maximum score is a 21. A reduction in score from pre- to post-assessment indicates an improvement in symptomology. | Baseline and 7 weeks after beginning of intervention | 
| Patient Health Questionnaire for Adolescents | This 9 item questionnaire is designed to evaluate severity of depressive symptoms in adolescents. It is scored on a Likert scale from 0 (not at all) to 3 (nearly every day) on items linked to depression indicators. The minimum score is a 0 and the maximum score is a 27, and a reduction in score from pre- to post-assessment indicates an improvement in symptomology. | Baseline and 7 weeks after beginning of intervention | 
| Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire for Ages 11-17 (Overall Score) | This 25 item questionnaire is a brief emotional and behavioral scale for adolescents based on psychological attributes. Items are scored on a Likert scale from 0 (Not True) to 2 (Certainly True). The range in overall scores is 0-40. A reduction in score from pre- to post-assessment indicates an improvement in symptomology/outcomes. | Baseline and 7 weeks after beginning of intervention |