62nd Annual Meeting

October 26 - 31, 2015

Workshop 42 (ticket)

The Use of Yoga as an Adjunctive Treatment for Psychiatric Illness in Children and Adolescents

Patients and families often seek complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) techniques because they are cost-effective and free of the side effects experienced with pharmacological treatment. Four of the ten most common CAM techniques used by children and adolescents are yoga based. The evidence presented in this workshop supports the mental health benefits gained from practicing yoga and meditation including: the areas of emotional well being, behavior, executive functioning, interpersonal domains, and even physical well-being. Participants gain insight into the efficacy of yoga as an adjunctive treatment for children and adolescents with mental illness, understand the impact of breathing and meditation techniques on psychiatric illnesses, and learn applicable yoga techniques that are beneficial when making recommendations to patients.