Yoga Therapy for Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
Yoga Therapy Dissertation Essay
This research essay is exploring the evidence of yoga in the field of mental health and young people, with the view to design a protocol of Yoga Therapy for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in the UK. Firstly, Yoga as a therapeutic tool is outlined, highlighting its underlying philosophies to heal. The context of mental health in children and young people is portrayed, further detailing the governmental policies and strategies by which services are guided. The framework of CAMHS as a service is discussed in consideration of its current delivery and potential for complementary interventions, and the research evidence-base of yoga for children and adolescents experiencing mental health difficulties is presented. A group protocol of Yoga Therapy for CAMHS has been devised, highlighting the clinical preparation required and the specific structure and content of the group. Limitations of the evidence-base are discussed, with recommendations for future research and clinical implications.
The objective of this paper is to shine light on the growing wealth of research which evidences the positive influence of yoga for healing, in the hope that the proposed Yoga Therapy for CAMHS intervention may be considered for therapeutic implementation or pilot research within an appropriate healthcare service to support the emotional health and mental wellbeing of children and young people.