Strong mind, strong body: The promise of mind–body interventions to address growing mental health needs among youth

Abstract

As the prevalence of childhood and adolescent anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns continues to rise, there has been an unprecedented increase in support of mind-body practices like yoga, dance, meditation, mindfulness, aerobic exercise, and more-in part driven by the mental health burden imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.While a growing body of evidence supports the safety and effectiveness of mind-body approaches, gaps in funding for and empirical research on mechanistic underpinnings, methodology development to assess multicomponent therapeutic practices, dissemination and implementation, and diversity in researchers, practitioners, and recipients remain. As a consequence, the neurobiological impacts of mind-body techniques are not well understood nor broadly accepted as standard forms of care by clinicians and insurers-often being considered as "alternative" rather than "complementary" or "integrative." In this commentary, we summarize work from our labs and others highlighting the promise of mind-body approaches for improving mental health in youth, in line with the National Institute of Mental Health's strategic plan to address health disparities. We offer a potential framework for implementation and research-the Expressive Therapies Continuum. We also propose solutions to key research and policy gaps, that by could have positive public health impacts for those who are struggling and to prevent emergence of psychiatric illness, especially in developing youth.

What happened matters: Trauma type and cumulative trauma exposure in refugee youth psychopathology.

“…In school or medical settings, for instance, brief screenings may utilize type of trauma exposure as a risk factor to triage youth who may require follow-up screenings or information regarding how to access additional services. Though traditional mental healthcare systems still often require individuals to meet certain symptom thresholds, leveraging greater insight into the risk associated with specific trauma types may guide prevention efforts, as well as the allocation of alternative interventions, such as art and movement therapies—the efficacy of which has been recently demonstrated within refugee youth populations (Grasser et al, 2019; Grasser & Marusak, 2023). Additionally, the current findings imply that clinical work must move beyond counting the number of traumatic events and toward a deeper understanding of the effects of specific trauma experiences—which may also vary in regard to personal meaning and subjective interpretation for exposed youth.…”

Does Osteopathic Heart-Focused Palpation Modify Heart Rate Variability in Stressed Participants with Musculoskeletal Pain? A Randomised Controlled Pilot Study

“…To date, various putative mechanisms are discussed, which involve changes in autonomic activity [28,29]. In sum, OMT and MBI were shown to improve MP [23,24], which may involve autonomic mechanisms [28,29].…”

“…However, although OMT and MBI seem to improve MP, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood [25,27]. To date, various putative mechanisms are discussed, which involve changes in autonomic activity [28,29]. In sum, OMT and MBI were shown to improve MP [23,24], which may involve autonomic mechanisms [28,29].…”

Mind-body internet and mobile-based interventions for depression and anxiety in adults with chronic physical conditions: A systematic review of RCTs

“…Systematic reviews have identified an average prevalence of depressive symptoms of 27% [7] and anxiety symptoms ranging from 11-80% depending on the chronic physical condition under evaluation [8]. With increasing recognition of the role of non-pharmacological options in the management of mental health symptoms, there have been a number of studies [9][10][11][12] supporting the impact of mind-body wellness techniques as effective management strategies [13]. Mind-body wellness is "an approach that focuses on the interactions among the brain, mind, body and behavior" [14].…”