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The prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in ex-combatants from illegal armed groups in Colombia has been estimated at 37.4%. This high prevalence indicates a need to explore alternative and adjunctive therapies in the treatment of PTSD. A randomized controlled trial was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a protocol based on Satyananda Yoga® in PTSD-diagnosed reintegrating adults in Colombia. One hundred reintegrating adults (n = 50 for each of the yoga and control arms) from Bogota and Medellin participated in this study. Yoga participants engaged in a Satyananda Yoga intervention for 16 weeks while the control group continued the regular demobilization program. The Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist - Civilian Version (PCL-C) was used to evaluate the effects of the applied therapy. Outcomes were assessed before entry and after the treatment. T-tests revealed a treatment effect of d = 1.15 for the yoga group and a between-groups effect size of d = .73. The difference in improvement in PCL-C scores between both groups was 18.91% (p < 0.05). The highest percentage of improvement was observed in the re-experiencing symptom cluster (23.71%; p < 0.05), with a treatment effect of d = 1.40 for the yoga group and a between-groups effect size of d = 1.15. The data suggest that Satyananda Yoga methodology is an effective therapy for reintegrating adults diagnosed with PTSD. Further research is needed in order to evaluate prolonged effects of this alternative therapy.

Effectiveness trials of increasing childhood development interventions across low- and middle-income countries have shown significant variability. The strength and consistency of benefits for children are dependent on program quality, and this requires paying attention to program implementation. In this paper, we summarize findings on program quality and teacher practices and perceptions for the aeioTU program, a center-based Reggio-inspired program in Colombia, now serving more than 13,000 children. The research found engaged, committed staff who valued the emergent approach and understood the children as requiring opportunities to express themselves, being the source for the curriculum, and having relationships with the materials around them. Although the average classroom quality was low in 2011, it increased significantly by 2014, particularly in the language and reasoning and interactions items. Indicator-level analyses showed that higher-order interactions and language processes were observed in a large proportion of classrooms by 2014. Teachers' self-reports on the environment and their teaching and learning showed high levels of quality by 2013. These findings illustrate the significance of process data for program improvement, especially when a program is young. Program quality can be raised after teachers improve their skills, have experience enacting a curriculum, and after training has been strengthened in response to information, while simultaneously scaling up the program.

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