The effectiveness of mindfulness yoga on patients with major depressive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Chuyuan Miao, Yun Gao, Xiaohua Li, Ying Zhou, Joanne Wai-Yee Chung, Graeme D Smith
BMC complementary medicine and therapies September 8, 2023 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-023-04141-2 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA systematic review and meta-analysis of nine randomized controlled trials (581 participants) examined whether mindfulness yoga helps people with major depressive disorder. The analysis found that mindfulness yoga significantly reduced depression symptoms compared to control conditions, though the evidence was not conclusive enough to firmly recommend it. During follow-up, two trials showed a significant benefit. The authors suggest mindfulness yoga may be a feasible, acceptable, and promising intervention for depression.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Systematic review and meta-analysis Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 581 |
| Population | Patients with major depressive disorder |
| Intervention | Mindfulness yoga |
| Topics | Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Meta-analysis Systematic review |
| Citations | 19 |
| Key finding | Mindfulness yoga significantly reduced depression symptoms compared to control conditions, but the evidence was not conclusive. |
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.