Trauma-Informed Yoga Intervention in Young Women

Trauma-Informed Yoga Intervention: A Randomized Controlled Trial on Psychological Trauma, Emotion Regulation, and Interoceptive Awareness in Young Adult Women

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of a trauma-informed yoga intervention on psychological trauma symptoms, difficulties in emotion regulation, and interoceptive awareness in young adult women.

This study will be conducted with young adult women aged 18-25 residing in a selected province. Based on a G*Power analysis, the minimum required sample size was determined to be 46 participants (intervention: n = 23; control: n = 23). Participants will be randomly assigned to the intervention and control groups using a computer-generated simple randomization method (https://www.random.org/integers/

) to ensure unbiased allocation. The intervention group will be implemented in three separate groups, each consisting of 8-10 participants, and will receive the "Trauma-Informed Yoga Intervention Program," which includes eight sessions. Each session will last approximately 45 minutes, and two sessions will be conducted per week for each group. The program will consist of group-based yoga sessions structured in accordance with trauma-informed principles. Pretest and posttest measurements will be used to assess psychological trauma symptoms, difficulties in emotion regulation, and levels of interoceptive awareness among young women.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Being a woman aged 18-25 years
• Providing voluntary written informed consent after being informed about the study
• Scoring within the highest 25th percentile on the Transmitted Psychological Trauma Scale based on the pre-screening assessment, indicating high levels of trauma-related symptoms
• Having no physical limitations that would prevent participation in weekly sessions and being medically eligible to engage in yoga practices
• Agreeing to comply with the study protocol, including attendance at intervention sessions and completion of all assessments

Exclusion Criteria:

• Inability to provide reliable responses due to the presence of active psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder, or severe cognitive impairment
• Being in an acute psychological crisis
• Initiation of intensive psychotherapy targeting trauma symptoms (e.g., trauma-focused therapy) within the past 3 months or participation in a similar structured psychosocial intervention during the study period
• Presence of serious musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, or neurological conditions or injuries that would prevent participation in yoga, or medical restriction of physical activity by a physician
• Having an established regular practice of yoga or meditation