The effectiveness of mindfulness yoga on patients with major depressive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
BMC complementary medicine and therapies – September 08, 2023
Source: PubMed
Summary
Mindfulness yoga shows promise for alleviating symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD). A systematic review and meta-analysis of nine randomized controlled trials, involving 581 participants, revealed a moderate effect size of -0.53 in reducing depression severity. Additionally, during follow-up, a significant difference was noted with a mean difference of -7.42 in depression scores compared to control groups. While conclusive evidence remains elusive, the findings suggest that mindfulness yoga could be a beneficial and acceptable intervention for individuals struggling with MDD.
Abstract
Mindfulness yoga is a type of exercise that emphasizes the integration of mindfulness or meditation into yoga. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of mindfulness yoga intervention on major depressive disorder (MDD) patients. A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted by searching nine databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data knowledge service platform, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), and China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP) from inception to April 2023. Primary outcomes included the severity of depression. Secondary outcomes included anxiety and rumination. Nine RCTs met our inclusion criteria (n = 581). The meta-analysis showed that mindfulness yoga significantly has a significant effect on depression (SMD = -0.53; 95%CI = -0.96 to -0.11; P 0.05), but found a significant difference in the follow-up period based on two RCTs (MD = -7.42; 95%CI = -11.27 to -3.56; P < 0.05), compared with the control groups. Although we were unable to provide conclusive evidence to support the effectiveness of mindfulness yoga in improving symptoms in MDD patients, we found the literature included in this study indicated that mindfulness yoga might have a potential benefit for MDD patients and should be a feasible, acceptable, and promising intervention.