Online Yoga Intervention for Improved Stress Management

According to Chong, Tsunaka, Tsang, Chan, and Cheung (2011) the negative impact of stress is a global health issue. In both adolescents and adults "unmanaged stress is believed to be a contributing and/or causal factor in the development of mental health and behavioral problems" (Khalsa, 2011, p. 2). Other researchers, such as Li and Goldsmith (2012) explained that, "stress, if left untreated can have unfavorable effects on the body that may progress into chronic conditions" (p. 21). Further, Chong et al. (2011) summarized the impact of stress, as follows: Stress is a universal problem that has a detrimental effect on the mental, physical, and psychological health of individuals. Unmanaged stress may reduce an individual's immune function and increase his or her vulnerability to chronic pain, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Additionally, it has a negative impact on quality of life. (p. 32) Elevated levels of stress and stress exposure have been linked to myriad deleterious health outcomes (Kinser and Lyon, 2014). Specifically, Kinser and Lyon (2014) indicated that depression is one of the most costly and debilitating mental health conditions facing the U.S. healthcare system today. According to Kinser and Lyon (2014), "depression is a leading cause of disability and disease worldwide and in the United States, affecting millions of individuals worldwide" (p. 665). Moreover, Kinser and Lyon (2014) highlighted the relationship between stress and depression by having said "it is well established that psychological stress plays an integral role in depression 2 and that depression has numerous negative health outcomes" (p. 665). Recently, many other authors have provided further analysis of the impact of stress.