Mindful yoga intervention as add-on to treatment as usual for young women with major depressive disorder: Results from a randomized controlled trial.
Nina K. Vollbehr, H J Rogier Hoenders, Agna A. Bartels‐Velthuis, Maaike H. Nauta, Stynke Castelein, Maya J. Schroevers, A Dennis Stant, Casper J Albers, Peter J. de Jong, Brian D. Ostafin
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology December 2022 DOI: 10.1037/ccp0000777 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 171 |
| Population | Young women aged 18-34 years with major depressive disorder |
| Interventions | Mindful yoga intervention (MYI) treatment as usual (TAU) |
| Duration | 9-week intervention; assessments at baseline, postintervention, 6- and 12-month follow-up |
| Measures | clinician-rated and self-reported symptoms of depression, diagnostic interview for MDD, quality of life, rumination, self-criticism, self-compassion, intolerance of uncertainty, perceived body awareness, dispositional mindfulness, attentional bias (AB), depression-related self-associations |
| Topics | Depression |
| Key findings | Adding a 9-week mindful yoga intervention to treatment as usual did not lead to greater reduction of depression symptoms, lower rate of MDD diagnosis, or increased quality of life at post-intervention or 6- and 12-month follow-up. No indirect effects were found through the potential mediators, with the exception of self-compassion. |
Abstract
To examine the added value of a 9-week mindful yoga intervention (MYI) as add-on to treatment as usual (TAU) in reducing depression for young women (18-34 years) with major depressive disorder (MDD). Randomized controlled trial (RCT; n = 171) comparing TAU + MYI with TAU-only. Assessments were at baseline, postintervention, and at 6- and 12-month follow-up. Primary outcome measures were clinician-rated and self-reported symptoms of depression, together with a diagnostic interview to establish MDD diagnosis that was restricted to the baseline and 12-month follow-up assessments. Quality of life in various domains was assessed as secondary outcome measure. As potential mediators for treatment efficacy, we included self-report measures of rumination, self-criticism, self-compassion, intolerance of uncertainty, perceived body awareness and dispositional mindfulness, together with behavioral measures of attentional bias (AB) and depression-related self-associations. Adding MYI to TAU did not lead to greater reduction of depression symptoms, lower rate of MDD diagnosis or increase in quality of life in various domains of functioning at post and follow-up assessments. There were no indirect effects through any of the potential mediators, with the exception of self-compassion. Adding MYI to TAU appeared not more efficacious than TAU-only in reducing depression symptoms in young women. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on depression, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- The effectiveness of mindfulness yoga on patients with major depressive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies September 8, 2023
- A meta-analysis of the effects of mindfulness meditation training on self-reported interoception Scientific Reports November 6, 2025
- A systematic review on mindfulness-based immersive interventions in depressive disorders npj Mental Health Research April 2, 2026
- Exploring young women's experiences of a mindful yoga intervention for depression in the Netherlands: Qualitative analysis of positive and negative effects British Journal of Clinical Psychology September 17, 2025
- Minding the Body: A Meta-analysis of the Effects of Mindfulness Meditation Training on Self-reported Interoception. Research Square June 4, 2025
and 1 more in the library
Cites 19
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Conceptual and methodological issues in research on mindfulness and meditation. American Psychologist October 1, 2015
- Home practice in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: A systematic review and meta-analysis of participants' mindfulness practice and its association with outcomes Behaviour Research and Therapy May 10, 2017
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy as a treatment for chronic depression: A preliminary study Behaviour Research and Therapy February 13, 2009
- Women Benefit More Than Men in Response to College-based Meditation Training. Frontiers in Psychology 2017
and 14 more in the library