Project Summary/Abstract
Project Title: Merging Yoga and self-management to develop Skills (MY-Skills)
Adult caregiving dyads (i.e., caregivers and care recipients) are virtually neglected and ignored in health
interventions; especially as programing relates to improving individuals’ chronic pain. Further, yoga and self-
management are effective and useful modalities for improving pain-related disability and is relevant to the
mission of NCCIH. However, yoga and self-management have not been combined for the caregiving dyad.
Thus, the goal of this innovative planning grant is to treat the caregiving dyad with an 8-week intervention to
improve pain-related disability and health outcomes for individuals in the caregiving dyad. The Aims are:
Aim 1: Develop and manualize the MY-Skills intervention.
Aim 2: Assess feasibility and acceptability of MY-Skills and research procedures including planned
assessments.
Methods: Using focus groups, clinical reasoning, literature, and findings from previously tested interventions of
yoga and self-management, we will develop, refine, and standardize the MY-Skills intervention for chronic pain.
In parallel, we will develop a control group that includes exercise and health and wellness education. In a small
randomized controlled trial, we will examine feasibility and acceptability of the 8-week MY-Skills procedures
and intervention compared to a control group, with 30 caregiving dyads randomly assigned to the two groups
(15 dyads for My-Skills and 15 dyads for control group; N = 60 participants/30 dyads). Surveys will be
administered and focus groups will be conducted to understand participant satisfaction and experiences with
MY-Skills. After each intervention session, interventionists, caregivers, and care recipients will rate their
satisfaction with the session content and activities. Members of the caregiving dyad will complete pre and post-
assessments regarding the primary outcome, pain-related disability and secondary outcome measures guided
by the Biopsychosocial model including assessment of the dyadic relationship. Our primary hypothesis is that
MY-Skills will be feasible and acceptable to caregiving dyads, as measured by benchmarks for recruitment,
screening, attendance, and completion of assessments and intervention. Our expected outcomes include MY-
Skills intervention workbooks for participants and manuals (i.e., training methods and methods to assess
interventionist fidelity) for interventionists leading the MY-Skills intervention and control group.