Browsing by Author "Starnino, Vincent R."

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    Preliminary Report on a Spiritually-Based PTSD Intervention for Military Veterans
    (Springer, 2019-10) Starnino, Vincent R.; Angel, Clyde T.; Sullivan, John E.; Lazarick, Donna L.; Jaimes, Licci D.; Cocco, John P.; Davis, Louanne W.; School of Social Work
    Military veterans can experience spiritual/religious struggles such as weakening of beliefs, loss of meaning, increased guilt, difficulty forgiving, and moral challenges as a result of military trauma. While mainstream treatments (e.g., exposure therapy) have been shown to be effective for many, they often fail to address these issues adequately. This paper describes an 8-session spiritually-based group intervention designed to treat trauma-related spiritual wounds among military veterans. A program evaluation conducted with 24 veterans revealed significant reductions in PTSD symptoms, spiritual injury, and negative religious coping from pretest to posttest. The findings support the need for additional PTSD treatment approaches.
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    The Eight Limbs of Yoga can be Maintained in a Veteran Friendly Yoga Program
    (Wolters Kluwer, 2021) Schmid, Arlene A.; Sternke, Elizabeth A.; Do, Ai-Nghia L.; Schalk Conner, Nancy; Starnino, Vincent R.; Davis, Louanne W.; School of Social Work
    Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may occur after a traumatic event and has deleterious effects on individuals, including decreased quality of life and function. Yoga is an intervention that may help with the management of PTSD symptoms, however yoga interventions in research studies frequently only include postures and breathwork, not all eight limbs of yoga. Aims and objectives: The aims of this qualitative study was to examine whether participants with PTSD in a group yoga program discussed the benefits of yoga in a way that represented the eight limbs of yoga, when answering questions about their experience of the yoga program. Methods: Qualitative data were collected after participants completed a 16-week yoga intervention. Qualitative data were collected via survey, reviewed, coded, and categorized into themes representing each of the eight limbs of yoga. Results: Overall, 108 people were randomized to the yoga intervention and 67 individuals completed the intervention and follow up questions used in these analyses. The mean age of the 67 participants in this study was 52.4 years (±12.0), the majority were male (70.2%), and most had combat-related trauma (62.7%). All eight limbs of yoga were represented in the data, including each of the five yamas and niyamas, even though the yoga intervention did not explicitly include Sanskrit terms, definitions, or education about yoga philosophy or the eight limbs of yoga. Conclusion: Results may indicate that yoga, even when only including postures, breathwork, intentions, and relaxation/meditation, may still address all of the yamas, niyamas, and the other eight limbs of yoga.
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    The experience of yoga for persons with complex interpersonal trauma: A phenomenological approach
    (Elsevier, 2022) Bennett, Lindsay M.; Starnino, Vincent R.; School of Social Work
    Background and Purpose: Complex Interpersonal Trauma is a phenomenon with great impact on the American population. Persons who have survived complex interpersonal traumas can experience symptoms beyond what is captured in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual's (DSM-5) diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Yoga is an ancient practice that has been found to have healing benefit for persons impacted by complex interpersonal trauma. The purpose of this study is to further the body of clinical research in support of yoga as a therapeutic intervention. Materials and methods: This study uses transcendental phenomenology methodology to gain a deeper understanding of the experience of yoga for those who have survived complex interpersonal trauma. Narrative interviews were used to gather data, yielding insight that aligns with current findings in literature supporting yoga as a healing intervention. The sample size for this study was five participants. Results: This study's findings shed light on the benefits of yoga for persons with complex interpersonal trauma. Themes discovered include transformation through yoga, comparing holistic benefits through opposing yoga styles, community and relationships, and trauma healing. Conclusion: This study and its findings offer implications for clinical social work practice to incorporate yoga as a therapeutic intervention for trauma.