A systematic review of yoga for major depressive disorder
Abstract
Background The purpose of this review was to investigate the efficacy and safety of yoga interventions in treating patients with major depressive disorder.Methods MEDLINE, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library were screened through December 2016. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing yoga to inactive or active comparators in patients with major depressive disorder were eligible. Primary outcomes included remission rates and severity of depression. Anxiety and adverse events were secondary outcomes. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane tool.Results Seven RCTs with 240 participants were included. Risk of bias was unclear for most RCTs. Compared to aerobic exercise, no short- or medium-term group differences in depression severity was found. Higher short-term depression severity was found for yoga compared to electro-convulsive therapy; remission rates did not differ between groups. No short-term group differences occurred when yoga was compared to antidepressant medication. Conflicting evidence was found when yoga was compared to attention-control interventions, or when yoga as an add-on to antidepressant medication was compared to medication alone. Only two RCTs assessed adverse events and reported that no treatment-related adverse events were reported.Limitations Few RCTs with low sample size.Conclusions This review found some evidence for positive effects beyond placebo and comparable effects compared to evidence-based interventions. However, methodological problems and the unclear risk-benefit ratio preclude definitive recommendations for or against yoga as an adjunct treatment for major depressive disorder. Larger and adequately powered RCTs using non-inferiority designs are needed.
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There is evidence to support the use of a combination of mindfulness and yoga in people with depression.
“Furthermore, there is evidence to support the use of a combination of mindfulness and yoga in those with depression [22–27].”
From The effectiveness of mindfulness yoga on patients with major depressive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (2023) · cites this paper as [23]
Cramer et al. (2017) found that yoga was more effective than exercise and medication in treating depression.
“Cramer et al. (2017) found that yoga was more effective than exercise and medication in treating depression.”
From The effectiveness of mindfulness yoga on patients with major depressive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (2023) · cites this paper as [23]
Mindfulness yoga might help MDD sufferers minimize their depressed symptoms.
“The results showed that mindfulness yoga might help MDD sufferers minimize their depressed symptoms”
From The effectiveness of mindfulness yoga on patients with major depressive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (2023) · cites this paper as [23]
These conclusions are consistent with Cramer et al. findings.
“These conclusions are consistent with Cramer et al. findings [23].”
From The effectiveness of mindfulness yoga on patients with major depressive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (2023) · cites this paper as [23]
There is a comparable systematic review on the effects of yoga on patients with major depressive disorder [23].
“Although there is a comparable systematic review on the effects of yoga on patients with major depressive disorder [23], our review places more attention to the specific constraints on the types of yoga, and we have attempted to analyze data using quantitative techniques.”
From The effectiveness of mindfulness yoga on patients with major depressive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (2023) · cites this paper as [23]
This review places more attention to specific constraints on types of yoga than the comparable systematic review [23].
“Although there is a comparable systematic review on the effects of yoga on patients with major depressive disorder [23], our review places more attention to the specific constraints on the types of yoga, and we have attempted to analyze data using quantitative techniques.”
From The effectiveness of mindfulness yoga on patients with major depressive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (2023) · cites this paper as [23]
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- Authors
- Cramer, H., Anheyer, D., Lauche, R., & Dobos, G.
- Affiliations
- University of Technology Sydney (AU)
- Kliniken Essen-Mitte (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Cramer, Holger
- Venue
- Journal of Affective Disorders
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2017-04
- Volume
- 213
- Pages
- 70-77
- ISSN
- 0165-0327 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2587639260
- Cited by
- 192
- References
- 60
- Citations by year
- 2026: 14 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 22 · 2023: 26 · 2022: 25 · 2021: 22 · 2020: 21 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 25 · 2017: 6
- FWCI
- 2.92
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Affective Disorders (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UTS ePRESS (University of Technology Sydney) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Treatment of Major Depression
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Keywords
- yoga, major depressive disorder, depression treatment, depression remission, depression severity, adverse events, aerobic exercise, electroconvulsive therapy, antidepressants, adjunctive therapy, non-inferiority
- MeSH terms
- Antidepressive Agents, Depressive Disorder, Major, Major Depressive Disorder, Electroconvulsive Therapy, Humans, Yoga, Reproducibility of Results, Exercise
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