Effects of Yoga on Impulsivity in Patients With and Without Mental Disorders: A Systematic Review

Course overview

Course Description: This course is based on material published in BMC Psychiatry and is available as an open-access article. Yoga can be used as a complementary intervention to conventional treatments, whether pharmaco? logical or non -pharmacological. Sustained practice of yoga can generate a series of benefits for individuals' quality of life and improve their physical fitness. The objective was to investigate the potential effects of yoga as an adjunct intervention in conditions involving impulse control issues, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), borderline personality disorder, bipolar affective disorder, and substance use disorders. We performed a systematic review of placebo?controlled, randomized trials of yoga in patients with impulsivity. PubMed, Web of Science, and Science Direct databases were searched for trials published up to January, 2023. Data were extracted from published reports and quality assessment was performed per Cochrane recommendations. Out of 277 database results, 6 RCT were included in this systematic review. To assess the level of attention and impulsiveness, the following scales were analyzed: Barratt Impulsiveness, UPPSP Impulsive Behavior scale, Conners Continuous Performance Test IIa and Conners Parent Rating Scale-Revised: Long. Yoga didn't have a significant improvement in impulsivity when compared to placebo. There are many tools to assess impulsivity, but they mean different concepts and domains consisting in a weakness on comparison of yoga effects. This course on the effects of yoga on impulsivity is designed for clinical social workers, psychologists, professional counselors, nurses, and substance abuse counselors who do clinical work. This course is appropriate for intermediate and advanced level practitioners who wish to develop their expertise with the effects of yoga on impulsivity. The course material includes a literature review of interventions and research. It may also be useful for licensed clinicians who require continuing clinical education courses for license renewal. The course is based on a journal article that includes research. It contains statistical analysis and data that some clinicians enjoy reading and others do not. A significant benefit of reading peer reviewed research-based articles for continuing education is that they provide practitioners with the latest findings in their field. Authors: Machado, Oliveria, Ferreira Lima, Bhargav, Varambally, Marques de Miranda, Romano-Silva Learning Objectives: This course will provide the practitioner with detailed information regarding the effects of yoga on impulsivity. Specifically, a professional will: Recognize characteristics of yoga and its potential in regulating brain activity. Describe benefits and possible limitations of yoga. Identify specific effects of yoga on impulsivity. Citation: Machado, Y. C., Oliveira, M., Lima, J. L. F., Bhargav, H., Varambally, S., de Miranda, D. M., & Romano-Silva, M. A. (2024). Effects of yoga on impulsivity in patients with and without mental disorders: a systematic review. BMC psychiatry, 24(1), 267. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-024-05608-3