Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2024 Apr;30(2):343-354.
doi: 10.1177/10783903221108765. Epub 2022 Jul 14.

Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Versus Cognitive Processing Therapy for Women Veterans With PTSD Who Experienced Military Sexual Trauma: A Feasibility Study

Belle Zaccari  1   2 , Athena D F Sherman  3 , Melinda Higgins  4 , Ursula Ann Kelly  5   6
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Versus Cognitive Processing Therapy for Women Veterans With PTSD Who Experienced Military Sexual Trauma: A Feasibility Study

Belle Zaccari et al. J Am Psychiatr Nurses Assoc. 2024 Apr.

Abstract

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common sequela to military sexual trauma (MST) among women veterans. Yoga has shown promise in research examining its benefit for symptoms and sequela of PTSD.

Aims: The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY) for women veterans with PTSD related to MST.

Method: In this feasibility study, the final sample included women veterans (n = 41) with PTSD related to MST accessing health care in a Veterans Affairs Health Care System in the southeast United States; the majority were African American (n = 33; 80.5%). Interventions used established protocols of 10 weekly sessions of group TCTSY versus 12 weekly sessions of group Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). PTSD was assessed via clinical interview and participant report. Additional data collection included multiple participant-reported outcomes commonly associated with PTSD and psychophysiological measures. We also collected data regarding participant satisfaction and feasibility-related feedback from participants and providers.

Results: Feasibility and acceptability were evaluated via demand, practicality, fidelity, and acceptability. This was measured by expressed interest, attendance, program completion, barriers to care and satisfaction with treatment, and satisfaction with interventions and data collection.

Conclusions: Results indicate the RCT design and TCTSY implementation were feasible; a full-scale RCT was subsequently conducted to determine efficacy of the experimental intervention. Recommendations for successful research strategies are provided.

Keywords: African American; PTSD; feasibility; military sexual trauma; trauma center trauma-sensitive yoga; women veterans; yoga.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. DisclaimerThe contents of this article do not represent the views of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the U.S. Government or the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. All authors approved this manuscript and this submission. The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Study Enrollment, Attendance, Completion, and Data Collection.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Afari N, Ahumada SM, Wright LJ, Mostoufi S, Golnari G, Reis V, & Cuneo JG (2014). Psychological trauma and functional somatic syndromes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychosomatic Medicine, 76(1), 2–11. 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000010 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Allen J, Dyas J, & Jones M (2004). Building consensus in health care: A guide to using the nominal group technique. British Journal of Community Nursing, 9(3), 110–114. 10.12968/bjcn.2004.9.3.12432 - DOI - PubMed
    1. American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed., text rev.).
    1. Barth SK, Kimerling RE, Pavao J, McCutcheon SJ, Batten SV, Dursa E, & Schneiderman AI (2016). Military sexual trauma among recent veterans: Correlates of sexual assault and sexual harassment. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 50(1), 77–86. 10.1016/j.amepre.2015.06.012 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Baum C, Kuyken W, Bohus M, Heidenreich T, Michalak J, & Steil R (2010). The psychometric properties of the Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness skills in clinical populations. Assessment, 17(2), 220–229. 10.1177/1073191109356525 - DOI - PubMed

Publication types