How Should Yoga in Anorexia Nervosa Treatment be Applied? A Qualitative Pilot Study on Yoga Strategies Perceived to be Beneficial from Patients' Perspective

Abstract

An altered interoception is a central correlate of anorexia nervosa (AN) and addressing this issue offers a promising approach in the treatment of AN. First results have shown the effectiveness of yoga as a body-focused intervention in the treatment of AN. However, to date there is a lack of empirical evidence regarding the question how yoga strategies and yoga elements (postures, relaxation, breath, meditation) should be applied. Against this background, we conducted a qualitative pilot study with n=6 female patients with AN undergoing treatment in a specialist unit supporting re-insertion subsequent to a preceding inpatient AN treatment. Study participants received a weekly one-hour hatha-yoga intervention over at least 12 weeks. After the yoga intervention, semi-structured interviews (1/2 to 1 hour) were conducted to assess the experiences of the study participants during the yoga intervention. The data were analyzed using Grounded Theory. At the upper level of analysis, four categories were differentiated: information regarding 1) study participants' symptoms, 2) aspects of the setting experienced to be beneficial, 3) yoga strategies perceived to be beneficial and 4) perceived consequences of yoga strategies. With regard to the yoga strategies perceived to be beneficial, analyses revealed 4 subcategories: features of 1) postures and movements, 2) breath and meditation exercises, 3) relaxation exercises and 4) general information about the setting. The results give first indications regarding the conceptualization of yoga in the treatment of AN and potential mechanisms. Further qualitative and quantitative studies are needed, e.g., with regard to effectiveness, contraindications, mediators or moderators to better evaluate the potential of yoga in the treatment of AN.