With this caveat in mind , the results of the current meta- analysis suggest that hatha yoga does not have effects on acute , chronic and /or treatment-resistant mood and anxiety disorders compared to treatment as usual or active control groups .
However , when compared to psychoeducation , hatha yoga showed more reductions in depression .
BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to systematic ally investigate the effectiveness of hatha yoga in treating acute , chronic and /or treatment-resistant mood and anxiety disorders .
Yoga on Our Minds: A Systematic Review of Yoga for Neuropsychiatric Disorders
Background : The dem and for clinical ly efficacious , safe , patient acceptable , and cost-effective forms of treatment for mental illness is growing . Several studies have demonstrated benefit from yoga in specific psychiatric symptoms and a general sense of well-being . Objective : To systematic ally examine the evidence for efficacy of yoga in the treatment of selected major psychiatric disorders . Methods : Electronic search es of The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and the st and ard bibliographic data bases , MEDLINE , EMBASE , and PsycINFO , were performed through April 2011 and an up date d in June 2011 using the keywords yoga AND psychiatry OR depression OR anxiety OR schizophrenia OR cognition OR memory OR attention AND r and omized controlled trial ( RCT ) . Studies with yoga as the independent variable and one of the above mentioned terms as the dependent variable were included and exclusion criteria were applied . Results : The search yielded a total of 124 trials , of which 16 met rigorous criteria for the final review . Grade B evidence supporting a potential acute benefit for yoga exists in depression ( four RCTs ) , as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy in schizophrenia ( three RCTs ) , in children with ADHD ( two RCTs ) , and Grade C evidence in sleep complaints ( three RCTs ) . RCTs in cognitive disorders and eating disorders yielded conflicting results . No studies looked at primary prevention , relapse prevention , or comparative effectiveness versus pharmacotherapy . Conclusion : There is emerging evidence from r and omized trials to support popular beliefs about yoga for depression , sleep disorders , and as an augmentation therapy . Limitations of literature include inability to do double-blind studies , multiplicity of comparisons within small studies , and lack of replication . Biomarker and neuroimaging studies , those comparing yoga with st and ard pharmaco- and psychotherapies , and studies of long-term efficacy are needed to fully translate the promise of yoga for enhancing mental health
With this caveat in mind , the results of the current meta- analysis suggest that hatha yoga does not have effects on acute , chronic and /or treatment-resistant mood and anxiety disorders compared to treatment as usual or active control groups .
However , when compared to psychoeducation , hatha yoga showed more reductions in depression .
BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to systematic ally investigate the effectiveness of hatha yoga in treating acute , chronic and /or treatment-resistant mood and anxiety disorders .