Sudarshan kriya yoga shows benefits for physician well-being

Sudarshan Kriya yoga (SKY) may aid physician well-being and mental health, according to a study published online Jan. 31 in JAMA Network Open.

Asli Korkmaz, from Dokuz Eylul University in Izmir, Turkey, and colleagues examined whether SKY can reduce psychological distress and improve wellness in physicians. Analysis included participants randomly assigned to SKY (66 individuals) versus a stress management education control (63 individuals).

The researchers found that compared with the stress management education control group, participants in the SKY group had significantly decreased stress on the 42-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale at posttraining (difference, −6.8 points) and at eight weeks postintervention (difference, −6.0 points).

SKY was also associated with significantly decreased depression at posttraining (difference, −5.7 points) and postintervention (difference, −5.4 points) and significantly decreased anxiety at postintervention. Lastly, in the SKY group, there was a significant decrease in insomnia from baseline to postintervention (difference, −0.3 points).

While the intervention had no effect on self-reported medical errors, the SKY group showed significantly increased professional fulfillment as well as significant decreases in work exhaustion, interpersonal disengagement, and burnout.

"These findings suggest that SKY represents a practical and efficient approach for improving physician well-being," the authors write.