Consensus-Based Recommendations for Yoga as Adjunct Therapy in Eating Disorder Treatment: A Delphi Study

Area of Science:

• Clinical Psychology
• Integrative Medicine
• Mind-Body Therapies

Background:

• Eating disorders (EDs) are serious mental health conditions requiring multidisciplinary treatment approaches.
• Yoga is increasingly explored as a complementary therapy for individuals with EDs, but specific guidelines are lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish consensus-based recommendations for applying yoga to individuals with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder.
• To combine the expertise of eating disorder clinicians and yoga instructors to ensure safe and effective yoga integration.

Main Methods:

• A modified Delphi technique using a two-round online survey.
• Participants (ED clinicians and yoga instructors) rated the importance of various yoga components.
• Survey items addressed yoga style, environment, dosage, safety, instructor qualifications, and specific practices.

Main Results:

• Developed general recommendations for transdiagnostic and disorder-specific yoga application in ED treatment.
• Organized findings into six core areas: yoga style, environment, dosage, language, instructor role, and treatment integration.
• Provided technique-specific recommendations for postures, breathwork, and meditation.

Conclusions:

• Preliminary recommendations for integrating yoga into ED treatment have been established.
• Emphasized the need for trauma-informed, individualized approaches in yoga for EDs.
• Further research is required to develop comprehensive guidelines for therapeutic yoga in eating disorder treatment.