"Following the Breath:" A Trauma-Informed Intervention for Educator Wellness in Rural Montana

Area of Science:

• Mental Health Research
• Educational Psychology
• Trauma-Informed Care

Background:

• High prevalence of mental health issues among educators and adolescents in rural settings.
• Stressors impacting teachers can negatively affect student co-regulation and classroom climate.
• Need for accessible mental health interventions for educators in underserved areas.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of a remotely-delivered, trauma-informed yoga intervention on educators' mental and physical health.
• To explore coping strategies and their link to improved teacher mental health outcomes.
• To evaluate potential benefits for student co-regulation and classroom environment.

Main Methods:

• Pilot study design.
• Remote delivery of a trauma-informed yoga intervention to educators.
• Measurement of physical and mental health outcomes, including depression, anxiety, trauma symptoms, sleep quality, heart rate variability, and cortisol levels.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements observed in participants' depression and anxiety levels.
• Reductions in reported trauma symptoms and enhanced sleep quality.
• Non-significant changes noted in heart rate variability and cortisol levels.

Conclusions:

• Remotely-delivered trauma-informed yoga shows promise in mitigating stress and improving mental health for rural educators.
• The intervention may offer a viable strategy for supporting teacher well-being.
• Further research is warranted to explore broader impacts on students and classroom dynamics.