Body Awareness Therapy in High Stressed Young Adults: Effects on Function, Balance, Sleep and Mood

Investigating the Effects of Body Awareness Therapy on Functional Capacity, Balance, Sleep Quality and Psychological State in Young Adults With High Stress Levels: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Body Awareness Therapy (BAT) is a holistic approach to human movement that considers the physical, physiological, psychological, and existential aspects of human existence. This planned randomized controlled study will be conducted on young adults with high stress levels. One group will be subjected to BAT and the other group will be the control group. The BAT exercises will be performed in supine, sitting and standing positions. In the BAT group, the exercises will be performed as a group exercise, not individually. After the initial evaluations in both the BAT and control groups, a re-evaluation will be performed at the end of 8 weeks. Functional capacity will be assessed with the 6-minute walk test, static balance with the single-leg balance test (eyes open-eyes closed), dynamic balance with the Y-balance test, psychological status with the Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), and sleep quality with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Scale. BAT will be performed 2 days per week for 8 weeks and will be continued progressively. This study will examine the effects of BaT on functional capacity, balance, sleep quality, and psychological state in young adults with high stress levels.

This study will follow a randomized controlled trial design. The study will be conducted in young adults at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Hatay Mustafa Kemal University.

Based on data reported in the literature, using stress score changes, the effect size for the group x time interaction was calculated to be approximately f=0.36 under the assumption of a repeated measures correlation of 0.50. The ANOVA: Repeated measures, within-between interaction option from the F-test family was used in the analysis. With an effect size of f=0.36, a type I error level (α=0.05), test power of 95%, a repeated measures correlation of 0.50, and a nonsphericity correction ε=1, the power analysis indicated that a total of 28 people were needed, with a minimum of 14 people in each group.

All assessments will be conducted in person by the research team. A comprehensive evaluation of the descriptive information, functional capacity, balance, sleep quality, and psychological status of the study participants is warranted.

Treatment Program Individuals in the BAT group will train 2 days per week for 8 weeks. The training will be conducted by a person who has received BAT training at levels A, B, C and D at the Swedish Institute of Body Awareness (Institutet Basal Kroppskännedom).

Those in the control group will not receive any training and will remain on the waiting list. These patients will also be assessed at baseline and after 8 weeks. In this group, BAT will be applied to the students who want to receive the training after the last measurements.

Body Awareness Therapy Exercises consist of awareness exercises in the supine, sitting, standing, and walking positions: Considering eight weeks, the training is designed to progress gradually after every two weeks. The BAT exercises are done in groups of 6 people.

The BAT program consists of 40 minutes of exercise.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Be between 20 and 30 years old
• Be literate
• Score 10 or above on the stress subscale of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale -21
• Be willing to participate in the study voluntarily

Exclusion Criteria:

• Individuals with orthopedic, neurological, rheumatological, psychiatric, mental, or any systemic chronic diseases
• Those with cardiac problems that may prevent exercise
• Those suspected of being pregnant
• Individuals with malignancy
• Individuals with active infection
• Those who do not regularly attend the treatment program