Effects of group trauma-sensitive yoga on inflammatory markers and psychological well-being in women veterans with PTSD: A randomized controlled trial

Background

Lifetime prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is double among veterans compared to civilians and women compared to men. Inflammatory factors are increasingly implicated in symptoms of PTSD. Yoga shows promise to reduce psychological symptoms of PTSD and positively impact inflammatory responses. The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of yoga to reduce symptoms of PTSD and depression in addition to investigating the impact of treatment on inflammatory markers in women veterans with PTSD secondary to military sexual trauma.

Methods

We collected dried blood spot samples, self-report and clinician administered measures of PTSD, and self-reported depression symptoms at baseline, 2 weeks, and 3 months post-intervention from a subset of women veterans diagnosed with PTSD (N = 27) who were randomized to either Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY; a movement therapy) or cognitive processing therapy (CPT; a talk therapy) as part of a larger multisite RCT. Concentrations of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured using multiplex bead-based immunoassay at baseline and post-intervention (2 weeks and 3 months). Generalized estimating equations examined changes in symptoms of PTSD, depression, and inflammatory markers over time. We hypothesized decreases in IL-6 and CRP and increases in IL-10 in TCTSY participants compared to CPT participants and that PTSD and depression symptoms would improve over time in both groups.

Results

From baseline to 3 months post-intervention, IL-6 (β = 0.10, p < 0.05), IL-10 (β = 0.68, p < 0.05), and CRP (β = 0.77, p < 0.05) increased in TCTSY participants relative to those randomized to CPT. PTSD and depression symptoms reduced in both groups over time (CAPS-5 β = −3.96, PCL-5 β = −4.66, and BDI-II β = −2.70, all p < 0.05); groups did not differ in magnitude of symptom reduction.

Conclusions

Findings indicate that TCTSY has the potential to improve symptoms of PTSD and depression and alter inflammatory markers. The findings are limited by our sample size and the immune factors we examined. Future directions for related research would benefit from measuring a wider array of stress response components.