Yoga Intervention in Patients of Depression and its Comparison with Conventional Treatment: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Introduction: Depression contributes significantly to global health burden. Yoga leverages many physiological and psychological changes involved in mood enhancement and may have the potential for being effective in patients of depression. Yoga comprises a mind-body intervention consisting of various elements including asanas, pranayama, and dhyana. Aim: To determine and compare the severity of depression in the study participants (with and without yoga intervention) with 3 months of follow-up and to analyse how different domains of the depression changed in patients of depression with and without yoga intervention. Material and method: An interventional study was conducted on 60 patients of depression aged 18-45 years, were randomized into an interventional group (with yoga intervention) and control group (without intervention of yoga). Depression scores were measured using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), at the beginning (baseline), after one month and three months. Result: A statistically significant difference was observed with time scale at baseline, after one month and three months in both, interventional group (F(1.543, 44.752) = 408.14, p < 0.001) and in control group (F (1.720,49.877) = 5.740, p < 0.05). A significant difference was also observed between interventional and control group (p < 0.001) after three months of yoga intervention, whereas no significant difference was observed at baseline and after one month of yoga intervention. Conclusion: Yoga intervention resulted in a significant reduction in depression scores within one month and improves its various domains significantly, whereas conventional treatment benefits take longer time and not improve all domains of depression.