Study: Twice-Weekly Yoga Could Help Alleviate Depression Symptoms

Iyengar yoga with coherent breathing significantly reduced major depressive disorder symptoms in patients both on and off of antidepressant medications, according to a new study.

“Yoga-based therapies offer promise as both monotherapies and adjunctive treatments,” the researchers wrote. In their study, they sought to assess the effectiveness of coherent breathing and yoga on depression symptoms and to determine the optimal intervention dosing of yoga for future trials.
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The study included 30 participants with depression who were either not taking antidepressants or who had been taking antidepressants for at least 3 months. Fifteen of the participants were randomly assigned to a high-dose yoga group (HDG), and completed three 90-minute yoga classes and four 30-minute homework sessions per week for 12 weeks, while 15 participants were randomly assigned to a low-dose group (LDG) and completed two 90-minute yoga classes and three 30-minute homework sessions per week for 12 weeks.

Researchers used Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) scores to assess depressive symptoms in patients at baseline, and at 4, 8, and 12 weeks after initiating yoga classes.

Overall, baseline BDI-II scores and compliance did not differ between the high- and low-dose intervention groups.

“BDI-II scores declined significantly from screening (24.6 ± 1.7) to week 12 (6.0 ± 3.8) for the HDG (–18.6 ± 6.6; p < 0.001), and from screening (27.7 ± 2.1) to week 12 (10.1 ± 7.9) in the LDG (–17.7 ± 9.3; p < 0.001).”

“There were no significant differences between groups, based on response (ie, >50% decrease in BDI-II scores; p = 0.65) for the HDG (13/15 subjects) and LDG (11/15 subjects) or remission (ie, number of subjects with BDI-II scores <14; p = 1.00) for the HDG (14/15 subjects) and LDG (13/15 subjects) after the 12-week intervention, although a greater number of subjects in the HDG had 12-week BDI-II scores ≤10 (p = 0.04),” the researchers wrote.

The only adverse effect observed in participants was transient muscle soreness. However, participants assigned to the high-dose group reported that performing 3 classes per week was a demanding time commitment.

“Although the HDG, thrice weekly classes (plus home practice) had significantly more subjects with BDI-II scores ≤10 at week 12, the LDG, twice weekly classes (plus home practice) may constitute a less burdensome but still effective way to gain the mood benefits from the intervention,” the researchers concluded.

—Melissa Weiss

Reference:

Streeter CC, Gerbarg PL, Whitfield TH, et al. Treatment of major depressive disorder with Iyengar yoga and coherent breathing: a randomized controlled dosing study [published online before print February 16, 2017]. J Altern Complement. Med. doi:10.1089/acm.2016.0140.