Date:
- May 8, 2017
- Source:
- Care New England
- Summary:
- New research indicates that the benefits of hatha yoga in treating depression are less pronounced in early treatment, but may accumulate over time.
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FULL STORY
When treating depression, the goal is
to help individuals achieve full recovery and normal functioning. While
traditional treatment such as medication or psychotherapy is effective
for many patients, some may not fully recover even with these
treatments. Researchers sought to determine if the addition of hatha
yoga would improve treatment outcomes for these patients. They found
that the benefits of yoga were less pronounced early in treatment, but
may accumulate over time.
The research, entitled "Adjunctive yoga v. health education for
persistent major depression: a randomized controlled trial," has been
published in Psychological Medicine. The research was led by
Lisa Uebelacker, PhD, a research psychologist in the Psychosocial
Research Department at Butler Hospital, a Care New England hospital, and
an associate professor of psychiatry and human behavior at The Warren
Alpert Medical School of Brown University. The team also included Gary
Epstein-Lubow, MD; Ana M. Abrantes, PhD; Audrey Tyrka, MD, PhD; Brandon
A. Gaudiano, PhD; and Ivan W. Miller III, PhD, of Butler Hospital and
the Warren Alpert Medical School; Geoffrey Tremont, PhD and Tanya Tran
of Rhode Island Hospital and the Warren Alpert Medical School; Tom
Gillette of Eyes of the World Yoga; and David Strong of the University
of California, San Diego.
"The purpose of this study was to examine whether hatha yoga is effective for treating depression when used in addition to antidepressant medication," explained Dr. Uebelacker. "We did not see statistically significant differences between hatha yoga and a control group (health education) at 10 weeks, however, when we examined outcomes over a period of time including the three and six months after yoga classes ended, we found yoga was superior to health education in alleviating depression symptoms."
According to Dr. Uebelacker, this is the largest study of yoga for depression to date. The team enrolled individuals with current or recent major depression who were receiving antidepressant medication and continued to have clinically significant depression symptoms. Participants were randomized into two groups -- those who participated in a hatha yoga class and a control group who took part in a health education class. The intervention phase lasted 10 weeks and participants were followed for six months afterward.
"We hypothesized that yoga participants would show lower depression severity over time as assessed by the Quick Inventory of Depression Symptomatology (QIDS), as well as better social and role functioning, better general health perceptions and physical functioning, and less physical pain relative to the control group," said Dr. Uebelacker. "We found that yoga did indeed have an impact on depression symptoms."
"The purpose of this study was to examine whether hatha yoga is effective for treating depression when used in addition to antidepressant medication," explained Dr. Uebelacker. "We did not see statistically significant differences between hatha yoga and a control group (health education) at 10 weeks, however, when we examined outcomes over a period of time including the three and six months after yoga classes ended, we found yoga was superior to health education in alleviating depression symptoms."
According to Dr. Uebelacker, this is the largest study of yoga for depression to date. The team enrolled individuals with current or recent major depression who were receiving antidepressant medication and continued to have clinically significant depression symptoms. Participants were randomized into two groups -- those who participated in a hatha yoga class and a control group who took part in a health education class. The intervention phase lasted 10 weeks and participants were followed for six months afterward.
"We hypothesized that yoga participants would show lower depression severity over time as assessed by the Quick Inventory of Depression Symptomatology (QIDS), as well as better social and role functioning, better general health perceptions and physical functioning, and less physical pain relative to the control group," said Dr. Uebelacker. "We found that yoga did indeed have an impact on depression symptoms."
Story Source:
Materials provided by Care New England. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Materials provided by Care New England. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
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