Yoga Can Be Beneficial For Caregivers

Yoga has been shown in research to help people with a multitude of health problems, including relieving back pain and lowering stress - it may even lead to lower blood pressure.  But now, it turns out yoga doesn't just help the person with the ailment - it could also help the person taking care of the person with the ailment.

Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles found that meditation from yoga can help lower depression in caregivers, and may also improve their cognitive functioning.  The researchers even found that the meditation was associated with a decrease in cellular aging from stress.

"To a varying degree, many psychosocial interventions like this have been shown to enhance mental health for caregivers," study researchers said.  "Yet given the magnitude of the caregiver burden, it is surprising that very few interventions translate into clinical practice. The cost of instruction and offering classes may be one factor. Our study suggests a simple, low-cost yoga program can enhance coping and quality of life for the caregivers."
Researchers reported that caregivers are known to be at an increased risk of depression and devotional distress -  plus, many caregivers tend to be older, which can lead to a lowered defense against stress and conditions like heart disease.

According to the American Medical Association, 16 percent of caregivers have worsened health after they've begun caring for someone.  A caregiver is anyone who provides assistance to someone who is in need of care. This could involve caring for a spouse who has suffered a stroke, a child with muscular dystrophy, a mother-in-law with Alzheimer's disease, or a grandfather with cancer. Most caregivers are unpaid family members or friends who provide care on either a full- or part-time basis. It is estimated that 80 percent of caregivers provide caregiving assistance seven days per week, and the care usually involves personal care assistance and household maintenance chores.

Caregiving can be stressful and may contribute to serious illness and depression. Studies show that  caregivers report that their health has worsened since taking on the caregiver role, and about half of caregivers who care for someone with Alzheimer's disease develop psychological distress.  In addition, caregiving can result in new financial burdens, with 40 percent of caregivers incurring new financial expenses for care related products, services, and activities. It is estimated that 26 percent of caregivers spend up to 10 percent of their monthly income on caregiving activities.

For the study, researchers separated the study participants into two groups: One was taught a 12-minute yoga routine, done every day for eight weeks. The other group relaxed with eyes closed for 12 minutes a day to a relaxation CD with instrumental music.

By the end of the study period, researchers found that in the yoga group, 65 percent of people had a 50 percent better score on a depression scale, and 52 percent had a 50 percent better mental health score. Among people in the relaxation group, on the other hand, 31 percent had a better score on the depression scale and 19 percent had a better score in mental health.