Yoga for prenatal depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

BackgroundPrenatal depression can negatively affect the physical and mental health of both mother and fetus. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of yoga as an intervention in the management of prenatal depression.MethodsA systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted by searching PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library and PsycINFO from all retrieved articles describing such trials up to July 2014.ResultsSix RCTs were identified in the systematic search. The sample consisted of 375 pregnant women, most of whom were between 20 and 40 years of age. The diagnoses of depression were determined by their scores on Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. When compared with comparison groups (e.g., standard prenatal care, standard antenatal exercises, social support, etc.), the level of depression statistically significantly reduced in yoga groups (standardized mean difference [SMD], −0.59; 95% confidence interval [CI], −0.94 to −0.25; p = 0.0007). One subgroup analysis revealed that both the levels of depressive symptoms in prenatally depressed women (SMD, −0.46; CI, −0.90 to −0.03; p = 0.04) and non-depressed women (SMD, −0.87; CI, −1.22 to −0.52; p < 0.00001) were statistically significantly lower in yoga group than that in control group. There were two kinds of yoga: the physical-exercise-based yoga and integrated yoga, which, besides physical exercises, included pranayama, meditation or deep relaxation. Therefore, the other subgroup analysis was conducted to estimate effects of the two kinds of yoga on prenatal depression. The results showed that the level of depression was significantly decreased in the integrated yoga group (SMD, −0.79; CI, −1.07 to −0.51; p < 0.00001) but not significantly reduced in physical-exercise-based yoga group (SMD, −0.41; CI, −1.01 to −0.18; p = 0.17).ConclusionsPrenatal yoga intervention in pregnant women may be effective in partly reducing depressive symptoms.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12888-015-0393-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

A randomized controlled trial of yoga for pregnant women with symptoms of depression and anxiety

“…Similar results have been reported among women with elevated symptom levels of depression. According to a review of randomized controlled trials conducted by Gong and colleagues [24]; three studies demonstrated evidence for yoga to be a promising intervention for the reduction of depressive symptoms [18,19,21,31]. Another small open trial of yoga (n ¼ 18) also found that yoga was associated with significant improvement in symptoms of depression [33].…”

Yoga research review

“…Because the literature is mixed on pharmacological treatment, depressed and anxious pregnant women are exploring alternatives including yoga. In a systematic review of the literature, 13 publications that met inclusion criteria suggested that yoga interventions reduced anxiety and depression [41] In a meta-analysis study six randomized controlled trials were identified, and the analysis involved comparison groups including prenatal care, exercise, social support and massage [42]. Depression was significantly lower in the yoga versus the comparison groups.…”

The Effect of Prenatal Yoga on Anxiety and Depression in Kudus, Central Java

“…Anxiety in pregnancy can cause psychiatric disorders, decreasing the quality of the fetus, preeclampsia, spontaneous abortion, preterm birth, low birth weight (LBW), postpartum depression, increasing risk of heart rhythm disorders, and developmental delay even personality disorder until adulthood, (Gong et al, 2015;Kusaka et al, 2016).…”