Mindfulness-Based Yoga Intervention for Women With Depression

This study was a prospective, randomized controlled intervention pilot study conducted in a metropolitan city in the upper Midwest of the United States. Forty women who met the criteria for depression based on the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (SCID-I; First, Spitzer, Gibbon, & Williams, 1997)were randomized to an experimental mindfulness-based yoga condition (n=20) or a walking control condition (n=20). Both programs were home-based motivational sessions delivered over the telephone and lasted 12 weeks. Assessments were conducted at baseline, three months (i.e., post-intervention), one-month follow-up (i.e., one month after the intervention ended). Participants were instructed to continue their usual depression care. The primary dependent variable was depressive symptoms based on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The secondary dependent variable was rumination scores on the Ruminative Responses Scale (RRS). This protocol was approved by the University of Minnesota's Institutional Review Board (IRB). Participants completed informed consent forms sent through the mail; consent to participate in physical activity was also obtained from the participant's healthcare provider. Recruitment for this trial occurred from February, 2013 to January, 2014 and follow-up assessments were completed by May, 2014.

Inclusion criteria

• 18 years of age or older
• a personal history of depression (i.e., ever being told by a healthcare provider that they had depression or given an antidepressant for depression)
• able to read and write in the English language
• able to commit to two sessions (yoga or walking) per week for 12 weeks
• demonstrate a willingness to be randomly assigned to either of the study arms
• be yoga naïve, defined as not taking more than four yoga classes in the past two years and not more than one class in the past month.

Exclusion criteria

• individuals with a history of bipolar disorder or schizophrenia and/or who had been hospitalized for a psychiatric disorder within six months prior to the eligibility screening
• individuals not providing signed informed consent
• individuals reporting any other health problems that would interfere with regular yoga practice or walking sessions
• individuals who engaged in more than 90 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity per week during the month prior to the eligibility screening.