Yoga on Our Minds: A Systematic Review of Yoga for Neuropsychiatric Disorders

Abstract

Background: The demand for clinically efficacious, safe, patient acceptable, and cost-effective forms of treatment for mental illness is growing. Several studies have demonstrated benefit from yoga in specific psychiatric symptoms and a general sense of well-being.Objective: To systematically examine the evidence for efficacy of yoga in the treatment of selected major psychiatric disorders.Methods: Electronic searches of The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and the standard bibliographic databases, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycINFO, were performed through April 2011 and an updated in June 2011 using the keywords yoga AND psychiatry OR depression OR anxiety OR schizophrenia OR cognition OR memory OR attention AND randomized controlled trial (RCT). Studies with yoga as the independent variable and one of the above mentioned terms as the dependent variable were included and exclusion criteria were applied.Results: The search yielded a total of 124 trials, of which 16 met rigorous criteria for the final review. Grade B evidence supporting a potential acute benefit for yoga exists in depression (four RCTs), as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy in schizophrenia (three RCTs), in children with ADHD (two RCTs), and Grade C evidence in sleep complaints (three RCTs). RCTs in cognitive disorders and eating disorders yielded conflicting results. No studies looked at primary prevention, relapse prevention, or comparative effectiveness versus pharmacotherapy.Conclusion: There is emerging evidence from randomized trials to support popular beliefs about yoga for depression, sleep disorders, and as an augmentation therapy. Limitations of literature include inability to do double-blind studies, multiplicity of comparisons within small studies, and lack of replication. Biomarker and neuroimaging studies, those comparing yoga with standard pharmaco- and psychotherapies, and studies of long-term efficacy are needed to fully translate the promise of yoga for enhancing mental health.

Bruker yoga som medikament=fritt tillegg i avrusning

“…Innen rusfeltet og psykisk helsevern er det sterkest evidens for effekten av yoga for depresjon (7,9,10). Det er noe svakere evidens for at yoga har effekt for angst og søvnforstyrrelser (9,10).…”

“…To oppsummeringsartikler tyder også på at yoga har effekt som en komplementaer terapi for ADHD, schizofreni og rusmiddelproblemer (9,11).…”

Is the Integration of Yoga with Psychotherapy Compatible? What are the Risks?

“…Many scholars have expounded on this topic before and discussed how yoga can be used as psychotherapeutic tool [6][7][8]19]. It is sufficient to say that ancient yoga literature has a plethora of techniques that can be harnessed to modern psychotherapeutic practice.…”

“…Against this background, it is not surprising that yoga is used as a part of psychotherapy [2,3] or sometimes even as a stand-alone psychotherapeutic tool [4,5]. Parallel to this inclusion in practice, literature is emerging to justify it [6][7][8]. Many would see this as a part of welcome natural progression in the evolution of modern yoga.…”

Effects of Yoga on Sleep Quality, Depression in Children with Cerebral Palsy

“…Studies have shown that, yoga has been used in an efficient manner in respiratory problems, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, autism, depression, obesity, diabetes, kidney diseases, hemophilia and gastrointestinal disorders [ 14,15]. The effect of yoga on motor function, emotional state and cognitive function has been shown on adults along with children [16,17].…”