A 2016 systematic review found that interventions which included perinatal yoga significantly reduced symptoms of depression in women.[1] More recently, a 2019 review noted that 3 of 6 Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) of prenatal yoga for depressed pregnant people reported a significant reduction in depression for the yoga group, as did two non-controlled trials. More research is underway. The same 2019 review found a single RCT of yoga for people with postpartum (i.e., after birth) depression, which found a significantly greater reduction in depression for yoga than for control.[2]
References
- ^Sheffield KM, Woods-Giscombé CLEfficacy, Feasibility, and Acceptability of Perinatal Yoga on Women's Mental Health and Well-Being: A Systematic Literature Review.J Holist Nurs.(2016-Mar)
- ^Elizabeth H Eustis, Samantha Ernst, Kristen Sutton, Cynthia L BattleInnovations in the Treatment of Perinatal Depression: the Role of Yoga and Physical Activity Interventions During Pregnancy and PostpartumCurr Psychiatry Rep.(2019 Dec 4)