Brief Yoga Intervention for Dental and Dental Hygiene Students: A Feasibility and Acceptability Study

Abstract

The present study investigated whether a brief yoga intervention would be feasible and acceptable for dental students. Based on empirical evidence about state mindfulness (SM), change in self-reported SM was assessed as a measure of the intervention’s feasibility and acceptability. A repeated-measures within-subjects design was used. Participants were third- and fourth-year dental and dental hygiene students (76% female). The State Mindfulness Scale (SMS), a validated self-report measure of SM with 2 subscales, Mind and Body, was used. Students (n = 132) completed the SMS immediately prior to and following a 1-hour yoga intervention. Dispositional mindfulness, burnout, perceived stress, and depressive symptoms were also investigated as moderators of changes in state mindfulness to determine whether psychological variables had an effect on feasibility in this sample. Total SM significantly increased from pre- to post-intervention, t(46) = 10.26, P < .001. An analysis of covariance showed a significant interaction effect in the relationship between pre-/post-intervention SM of Mind ( β = 0.51, P = .048), such that higher levels of stress saw greater increases in SM of Mind. No other psychological variables were significant moderators. A brief yoga intervention for dental students significantly increased SM, suggesting that yoga interventions may be feasible and acceptable in this population. The results of moderation analyses suggest that a brief yoga intervention may be especially effective at increasing SM for those with high levels of stress. Future research should use a randomized control group to test group differences in SM after a brief yoga intervention for dental students.

Who Benefits Most? Interactions between Personality Traits and Outcomes of Four Incremental Meditation and Yoga Treatments

“…Furthermore, a recent study found that a mindfulness intervention was more effective for those patients with an earlier onset of depression, higher levels of rumination and a lower quality of life [ 90 ]. Similar results were obtained for healthy participants with higher levels of neuroticism [ 24 , 25 ] or stress [ 91 ]. Hence, it seems that vulnerable participants might benefit more from diverse MBM interventions.…”

Who benefits most? Interactions between personality traits and outcomes of four incremental meditation and yoga treatments

“…Furthermore, a recent study found that a mindfulness intervention was more effective for those patients with an earlier onset of depression, higher levels of rumination and a lower quality of life (Ter Avest et al, 2019). Similar results were obtained for healthy participants with higher levels of neuroticism (de Vibe et al, 2015;Nyklíček & Irrmischer, 2017) or stress (Braun et al, 2019). Hence, it seems that vulnerable participants might benefit more from diverse MBM interventions.…”

Association of Burnout with Socio-Educational Variables in a Sample of Chilean Dental Students

“…9 Given the above, different interventions have been successfully implemented in dental programs aimed at reducing burnout such as Yoga to reduce stress 36 , courses to enhance emotional intelligence 37 , or strengthening personal confidence. 38 Yet future research is needed to decrease burnout, promoting the development of emotional intelligence, as it can help tolerate stress and minimize burnout levels 39 and has a strong correlation with empathy. 32 Burnout has a complex origin, it is not only a lack of resilience or vocation in students but also the social environment and the characteristics of the educational institution are involved.…”