Efficacy of yoga for posttraumatic stress disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Seyed Aria Nejadghaderi, Seyed Ehsan Mousavi, Asra Fazlollahi, Kimia Motlagh Asghari, Dana Rose Garfin
Psychiatry research October 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2024.116098
Summary
Participation in yoga interventions significantly reduced self-reported PTSD symptoms by 51% and depression symptoms by 39% immediately after treatment, with long-term improvements showing a 44% reduction. An analysis of 20 randomized controlled trials involving over 1,000 adult participants indicated yoga's effectiveness as a complementary health approach for traumatic stress. Importantly, no serious adverse events were reported, suggesting safety. However, clinician-reported assessments did not show the same benefits. Different types of yoga influenced outcomes, highlighting the complexity of treatment efficacy.
Abstract
Yoga is an increasingly popular complementary intervention to reduce posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and related comorbidities, but its safety and treatment efficacy are not firmly established. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing randomized control trials (RCTs) of yoga interventions for PTSD and related secondary outcomes (e.g., depression). Initial search results found over 668 potential papers. Twenty met inclusion criteria (e.g., RCTs on adult participants with PTSD that evaluated safety or efficacy outcomes). Meta-analysis indicated that, compared to control interventions, participation in yoga interventions significantly improved self-report PTSD (standardized mean difference [SMD]: -0.51; 95 % confidence interval [CI]: -0.68, -0.35) and immediate (SMD: -0.39; 95 % CI: -0.56, -0.22) and long-term (SMD: -0.44; 95 % CI: -0.74, -0.13) depression symptoms. However, using clinician-reported assessments, yoga interventions were not associated with improved PTSD symptoms. Type of yoga differentially predicted outcomes. Sensitivity analysis showed consistent effect sizes when omitting each study from main analyses. Six studies reported whether any serious adverse events occurred. None were indicated. No publication bias was found, although individual intervention studies tended to be high in bias. Results suggest yoga is likely a safe and effective complementary intervention for reducing PTSD and depressive symptoms in individuals with PTSD. More rigorous RCTs are warranted.