Positive Health Online

Abstract

BUTTNER and COLLEAGUES, 1. VA Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health (CESAMH), VA San Diego Healthcare System, and the Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA 92161, USA. Melissa.Buttner@va.gov ; 2. Department of Psychology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA; 3. Department of Psychology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA conducted a study and examined yoga as a complementary therapy for postpartum depression (PPD).

Background

Up to 20% of women experience postpartum depression (PPD). PPD is associated with anxiety and poor health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Efficacious treatments are critical; many women with PPD prefer complementary therapies. Thus, the current study examined yoga as a complementary therapy for PPD.

Methodology

Fifty-seven postpartum women with scores ≥12 on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale were randomly assigned to a yoga (N = 28) or wait-list control (N = 29) group. The yoga intervention consisted of 16 classes over 8 weeks. Outcomes were depression, anxiety, and HRQOL.

Results

The yoga group experienced significantly greater rate of improvement in depression, anxiety, and HRQOL, relative to the control group with moderate to large effects. Reliable Change Index analyses revealed that 78% of women in the yoga group experienced clinically significant change.

Conclusion

These findings support yoga as a promising complementary therapy for PPD, and warrant large-scale replication studies. Trial Registration: http://clinicaltrials.gov/NCT02213601 .

References

Buttner MM1, Brock RL2, O'Hara MW2, Stuart S3. Efficacy of yoga for depressed postpartum women: A randomized controlled trial. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 21(2): 94-100. May  2015. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2015.03.003. Epub 2015 Apr 1.