Efficacy of Yoga for Postpartum Depression

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The aim of this project is to compare the efficacy of an 8-week yoga intervention, relative to a wait-list control (WLC) condition, for improving psychological functioning and health-related quality of life in depressed postpartum women. It was hypothesized that the yoga intervention would be significantly more efficacious than the wait-list control condition in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety, and improving health-related quality of life, at the end of the 8-week yoga intervention.

Official Title
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Efficacy of Yoga for Depressed Postpartum Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Conditions
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Depression, Postpartum

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Yoga


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Score of 12 or greater on the 17-item Hamilton Depressing Rating Scale Participant must reside within a 30 mile radius of the yoga studios ≥ 6 weeks postpartum if delivery was either complicated and/or involved a cesarean section Exclusion Criteria: Current or past diagnosis of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or other psychotic disorder, alcohol or drug abuse/dependence (except nicotine), or anorexia in the past year Acute suicidal or homicidal risk Current mental health treatment, including psychotropic medications or psychotherapy with a certified therapist St. John's Wort or Fish oil Practiced yoga at a studio with a certified yoga instructor within the past month Significant medical disorder (e.g., seizure disorder) that is contraindicated for exercise in postpartum women

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 45 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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Female

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Yoga<br>8-week Gentle Vinyasa Flow yoga intervention | Behavioral: Yoga<br> <br> |
| No Intervention: Wait-list Control Group<br> | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change from baseline in depression on the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) at week 8 | The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) is a validated and reliable measure of the severity of depressive symptoms, and is used extensively in depression treatment studies. The 17-item HDRS is sensitive to treatment change in the postpartum population, and is a valid indicator of depression severity in postpartum depression despite the overlap between somatic HDRS items and typical experiences of postpartum women. | Baseline, Week 8 | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change from baseline in panic symptoms on the Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms Panic Scale (IDAS) at week 8 | The Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms (IDAS) is a 64-item factor analytically derived, multidimensional inventory that uses a 5-point Likert scale to assess symptoms of depression and anxiety over the past 2 weeks (1 = not at all to 5 = extremely). The IDAS has strong internal consistency reliability, with median coefficient alphas greater than .80, and has been validated for use in a postpartum sample. The Panic scale is an 8-item measure that assesses symptoms traditionally linked to anxiety. | Baseline, Week 8 | 
| Change from baseline in social anxiety symptoms on the Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms Social Anxiety Scale (IDAS) at week 8 | The Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms (IDAS) is a 64-item factor analytically derived, multidimensional inventory that uses a 5-point Likert scale to assess symptoms of depression and anxiety over the past 2 weeks (1 = not at all to 5 = extremely). The IDAS has strong internal consistency reliability, with median coefficient alphas greater than .80, and has been validated for use in a postpartum sample. The Social Anxiety scale is a 5-item measure that assesses symptoms traditionally linked to anxiety. | Baseline, Week 8 | 
| Change from baseline in traumatic intrusion symptoms on the Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms Traumatic Intrusions Scale (IDAS) at week 8 | The Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms (IDAS) is a 64-item factor analytically derived, multidimensional inventory that uses a 5-point Likert scale to assess symptoms of depression and anxiety over the past 2 weeks (1 = not at all to 5 = extremely). The IDAS has strong internal consistency reliability, with median coefficient alphas greater than .80, and has been validated for use in a postpartum sample. The Traumatic Intrusions scale is a 4-item measure that assesses symptoms traditionally linked to anxiety. | Baseline, Week 8 | 
| Change from baseline in health-related quality of life symptoms on the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) at week 8 | The Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) is a well-validated measure of Health-related Quality of Life and consists of 36 items reflecting 8 domains of health: 1) role-limiting physical, 2) role-limiting emotional, 3) physical functioning, 4) social functioning, 5) mental health, 6) energy and vitality, 7) pain, and 8) general health perceptions. | Baseline, Week 8 | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Yoga, Complementary and Alternative Medicine Interventions, Treatment, Postpartum Depression