| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2013 | Volume
: 55
| Issue : 7 | Page : 369-373 |
Positive antidepressant effects of generic yoga in depressive out-patients: A comparative study
BN Gangadhar, GH Naveen, MG Rao, J Thirthalli, S Varambally
Department of Psychiatry, Advanced Centre for Yoga, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Correspondence Address:
B N Gangadhar
Department of Psychiatry, Advanced Center for Yoga, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore - 560 029, Karnataka
India
 Source of Support: The research was done under the Advanced
Centre for Yoga - Mental Health and Neurosciences, a collaborative
centre of NIMHANS and the Morarji Desai Institute of Yoga, New
Delhi, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/0019-5545.116312
Context: Therapeutic effects in depression of yoga adopted from different schools have been demonstrated. The efficacy of a generic module of yoga on depressed patients has not yet been tested in the literature.
Aims: The study was aimed to compare the therapeutic effect of a generic yoga module with antidepressant drugs in non-suicidal out-patients of major depression attending a psychiatric hospital.
Settings and Design: The study was outpatient-based using an open-labeled design.
Materials and Methods: A total of 137 out-patients of depressive disorders received one of the three treatments as they chose - yoga-only, drugs-only or both. The yoga was taught by a trained yoga physician for over a month in spaced sessions totaling at least 12. Patients were assessed before treatment, after 1 and 3 months on depression and Clinical Global Impression Scales. Out of 137, 58 patients completed the study period with all assessments.
Results: Patients in the three arms of treatment were comparable on demographic and clinical variables. Patients in all three arms of treatment obtained a reduction in depression scores as well as clinical severity. However, both yoga groups (with or without drugs) were significantly better than the drugs-only group. Higher proportion of patients remitted in the yoga groups compared with the drugs-only group. No untoward events were spontaneously reported in the yoga-treated patients.
Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, it can be concluded that the findings support a case for prescribing yoga as taught in the study in depressive non-suicidal out-patients.
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