Hatha Yoga for Adolescent Stress Reduction: A Systematic Review

Abstrak

Background: Adolescent stress is increasingly recognised as a major public health concern associated with dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Hatha yoga has emerged as a potential non-pharmacological intervention for stress management through psychophysiological regulation.
Objective: To synthesise current evidence regarding the effectiveness of Hatha yoga interventions for reducing stress among adolescents.
Methods: A systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Literature searches were performed in PubMed and Google Scholar for studies published between 2015 and 2026. Screening, eligibility assessment, and risk of bias evaluation were independently conducted by two reviewers using predefined PICOS criteria, RoB 2, and Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools. Because of substantial methodological and outcome heterogeneity, findings were narratively synthesised without meta-analysis.
Results: From 6,752 identified records, five studies involving 288 adolescents met the inclusion criteria. Hatha yoga interventions lasting 4–8 weeks with frequencies of 3–5 sessions/week consistently demonstrated significant reductions in stress-related outcomes (p<0.05). One study additionally reported decreased salivary cortisol and increased heart rate variability (p<0.001), indicating improved autonomic regulation. Nevertheless, overall evidence quality remained moderate because of small sample sizes, quasi-experimental predominance, and methodological heterogeneity.
Conclusion: Structured Hatha yoga interventions may contribute to adolescent stress reduction through autonomic and neuroendocrine modulation. However, larger multicentre randomised controlled trials with standardised protocols and stronger methodological quality remain necessary.