Yoga and mindfulness are considered complementary and alternative healthcare options that involve breathing techniques, relaxation, and bodily postures (yoga only). Research has shown a positive effect of these on depression, quality of life, and other symptoms of psychosis. As an 8-week pilot study, the goal is to offer yoga and/or mindfulness online and to explore the effect on recovery and quality of life for people with psychosis.
Psychosis impacts about 3% of Canadians at any given time. People with psychosis can experience a combination of positive (e.g., delusions; hallucinations), negative (e.g., amotivation; reduced social activity), or cognitive symptoms (e.g., poorer memory; executive functioning). Positive symptoms are managed via antipsychotic medication and therapeutic support; cognitive symptoms can be targeted via cognitive remediation therapy. For negative symptoms, especially those idiopathic, there are still no effective care options. Yoga is a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) encompassing health modalities of Eastern cultures, it involves breathing techniques, relaxation, and bodily postures. Research has shown that yoga can improve levels of depression and quality of life, and even attenuate negative symptoms. Given the extensive health care expenditures and unmet care needs for negative symptoms, there is a growing need to consider CAMs, such as yoga, and accessibility of CAMs via online methods. As a pioneering study, this proposed pilot study aims to explore the effect of an 8-week (i.e., 8 sessions) online yoga program on recovery/outcome, with a focus on negative symptoms, for people with psychosis. The investigators aim to recruit 24 people with psychosis and randomly assign them to either the yoga (n=12) or a mindfulness group (n=12); mindfulness, in essence, is yoga without the physical aspect (i.e., poses). The investigators hypothesize that yoga will improve quality of life and attenuate symptom severity, with a larger effect on negative symptoms, above the effect of mindfulness. A nonclinical sample (n=12) will also be recruited to examine feasibility and for feedback purposes.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
36
8 weeks of online weekly yoga or chair yoga class
8 weeks of online weekly mindfulness class
The Royal Ottawa Mental Heatlh Centre
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
RECRUITINGChange from baseline on the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation (CORE-10) scale at week 4
The CORE-10 is a self-reported instrument measuring levels of psychological distress in the past week. Possible scores range from 0 (not at all) to 4 (most or all of the time). Higher score = worse outcome. Change = (week 4 - baseline).
Time frame: Baseline and Week 4
Change from baseline on the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation (CORE-10) scale at week 8
The CORE-10 is a self-reported instrument measuring levels of psychological distress in the past week. Possible scores range from 0 (not at all) to 4 (most or all of the time). Higher score = worse outcome. Change = (week 8 - baseline).
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Change from baseline on the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation (CORE-10) scale at week 12
The CORE-10 is a self-reported instrument measuring levels of psychological distress in the past week. Possible scores range from 0 (not at all) to 4 (most or all of the time). Higher score = worse outcome. Change = (week 12 - baseline).
Time frame: Baseline and Week 12
Change from baseline on the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation (CORE-10) scale at 6 months
The CORE-10 is a self-reported instrument measuring levels of psychological distress in the past week. Possible scores range from 0 (not at all) to 4 (most or all of the time). Higher score = worse outcome. Change = (6 month - baseline).
Time frame: Baseline and 6 Months
Change from baseline on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale for Schizophrenia (PANSS) scale at 4 weeks
The PANSS is a clinician-rated, semi-structured interview assessing schizophrenia symptom severity over the past week. Possible scores range from 1 (absent) to 7 (extreme). Higher score = worse outcome. Change = (week 4 - baseline).
Time frame: Baseline and Week 4
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Change from baseline on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale for Schizophrenia (PANSS) scale at 8 weeks
The PANSS is a clinician-rated, semi-structured interview assessing schizophrenia symptom severity over the past week. Possible scores range from 1 (absent) to 7 (extreme). Higher score = worse outcome. Change = (week 8 - baseline).
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Change from baseline on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale for Schizophrenia (PANSS) scale at 12 weeks
The PANSS is a clinician-rated, semi-structured interview assessing schizophrenia symptom severity over the past week. Possible scores range from 1 (absent) to 7 (extreme). Higher score = worse outcome. Change = (week 12 - baseline).
Time frame: Baseline and Week 12
Change from baseline on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale for Schizophrenia (PANSS) scale at 6 months
The PANSS is a clinician-rated, semi-structured interview assessing schizophrenia symptom severity over the past week. Possible scores range from 1 (absent) to 7 (extreme). Higher score = worse outcome. Change = (6 month - baseline).
Time frame: Baseline and 6 Months
Change from baseline on the Questionnaire about the Process of Recovery - Version 2 (QPR-2) scale at week 4
The QPR-2 is a self-reported instrument assessing levels of recovery over the past week. Scores range from 0 (disagree strongly) to 4 (agree strongly). Higher score = better outcome. Change = (week 4 - baseline).
Time frame: Baseline and Week 4
Change from baseline on the Questionnaire about the Process of Recovery - Version 2 (QPR-2) scale at week 8
The QPR-2 is a self-reported instrument assessing levels of recovery over the past week. Scores range from 0 (disagree strongly) to 4 (agree strongly). Higher score = better outcome. Change = (week 8 - baseline).
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Change from baseline on the Questionnaire about the Process of Recovery - Version 2 (QPR-2) scale at week 12
The QPR-2 is a self-reported instrument assessing levels of recovery over the past week. Scores range from 0 (disagree strongly) to 4 (agree strongly). Higher score = better outcome. Change = (week 12 - baseline).
Time frame: Baseline and Week 12
Change from baseline on the Questionnaire about the Process of Recovery - Version 2 (QPR-2) scale at 6 months
The QPR-2 is a self-reported instrument assessing levels of recovery over the past week. Scores range from 0 (disagree strongly) to 4 (agree strongly). Higher score = better outcome. Change = (6 months - baseline).
Time frame: Baseline and 6 Months
Change from baseline on the Self-Evaluation of Negative Symptoms (SNS) scale at week 4
The SNS is a self-reported instrument assessing negative symptom severity over the past week. Possible answers are strongly agree, somewhat agree, strongly disagree. Higher score = worse outcome. Change = (week 4 - baseline).
Time frame: Baseline and Week 4
Change from baseline on the Self-Evaluation of Negative Symptoms (SNS) scale at week 8
The SNS is a self-reported instrument assessing negative symptom severity over the past week. Possible answers are strongly agree, somewhat agree, strongly disagree. Higher score = worse outcome. Change = (week 8 - baseline).
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Change from baseline on the Self-Evaluation of Negative Symptoms (SNS) scale at week 12
The SNS is a self-reported instrument assessing negative symptom severity over the past week. Possible answers are strongly agree, somewhat agree, strongly disagree. Higher score = worse outcome. Change = (week 12 - baseline).
Time frame: Baseline and Week 12
Change from baseline on the Self-Evaluation of Negative Symptoms (SNS) scale at 6 months
The SNS is a self-reported instrument assessing negative symptom severity over the past week. Possible answers are strongly agree, somewhat agree, strongly disagree. Higher score = worse outcome. Change = (6 months - baseline).
Time frame: Baseline and 6 Months
Change from baseline on the Birchwood Insight Scale (BIS) scale at week 4
The BIS is a self-reported instrument assessing levels of insight without a specific time period. Possible answers are agree, disagree, unsure. Higher score = better outcome. Change = (week 4 - baseline).
Time frame: Baseline and Week 4
Change from baseline on the Birchwood Insight Scale (BIS) scale at week 8
The BIS is a self-reported instrument assessing levels of insight without a specific time period. Possible answers are agree, disagree, unsure. Higher score = better outcome. Change = (week 8 - baseline).
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Change from baseline on the Birchwood Insight Scale (BIS) scale at week 12
The BIS is a self-reported instrument assessing levels of insight without a specific time period. Possible answers are agree, disagree, unsure. Higher score = better outcome. Change = (week 12 - baseline).
Time frame: Baseline and Week 12
Change from baseline on the Birchwood Insight Scale (BIS) scale at 6 months
The BIS is a self-reported instrument assessing levels of insight without a specific time period. Possible answers are agree, disagree, unsure. Higher score = better outcome. Change = (6 months - baseline).
Time frame: Baseline and 6 Months
Change from baseline on the Short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS) scale at week 4
The SWEMWBS is a self-reported instrument assessing levels of overall mental well-being over the past 2 weeks. Possible scores range from 1 (none of the time) to 5 (all of the time). Higher score = better outcome. Change = (week 4 - baseline).
Time frame: Baseline and Week 4
Change from baseline on the Short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS) scale at week 8
The SWEMWBS is a self-reported instrument assessing levels of overall mental well-being over the past 2 weeks. Possible scores range from 1 (none of the time) to 5 (all of the time). Higher score = better outcome. Change = (week 8 - baseline).
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Change from baseline on the Short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS) scale at week 12
The SWEMWBS is a self-reported instrument assessing levels of overall mental well-being over the past 2 weeks. Possible scores range from 1 (none of the time) to 5 (all of the time). Higher score = better outcome. Change = (week 12 - baseline).
Time frame: Baseline and Week 12
Change from baseline on the Short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS) scale at 6 months
The SWEMWBS is a self-reported instrument assessing levels of overall mental well-being over the past 2 weeks. Possible scores range from 1 (none of the time) to 5 (all of the time). Higher score = better outcome. Change = (6 months - baseline).
Time frame: Baseline and 6 Months
Change from baseline on the Modified Global Assessment of Functioning - Revised (M-GAF(R)) scale at week 4
The M-GAF(R) is a clinician-rated instrument assessing overall level of functioning over the past month. Score ranges from 1 (severely impaired) to 100 (superior functioning). Higher score = better outcome. Change = (week 4 - baseline).
Time frame: Baseline and Week 4
Change from baseline on the Modified Global Assessment of Functioning - Revised (M-GAF(R)) scale at week 8
The M-GAF(R) is a clinician-rated instrument assessing overall level of functioning over the past month. Score ranges from 1 (severely impaired) to 100 (superior functioning). Higher score = better outcome. Change = (week 8 - baseline).
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Change from baseline on the Modified Global Assessment of Functioning - Revised (M-GAF(R)) scale at week 12
The M-GAF(R) is a clinician-rated instrument assessing overall level of functioning over the past month. Score ranges from 1 (severely impaired) to 100 (superior functioning). Higher score = better outcome. Change = (week 12 - baseline).
Time frame: Baseline and Week 12
Change from baseline on the Modified Global Assessment of Functioning - Revised (M-GAF(R)) scale at 6 months
The M-GAF(R) is a clinician-rated instrument assessing overall level of functioning over the past month. Score ranges from 1 (severely impaired) to 100 (superior functioning). Higher score = better outcome. Change = (6 months - baseline).
Time frame: Baseline and 6 Months