Yoga for anxiety and depression 1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Yoga for anxiety and depression
IRAS ID
204633
Contact name
Olga Polyakova
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Sheffield Hallam University
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
ZQ29 , NHS R&D project ref. number
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, 8 days
Research summary
The research project aims to explore the use of yoga as an additional treatment for depression and anxiety alongside usual care, i.e. cognitive behaviour therapy, counselling, mindfulness courses. The objectives of the study are to explore factors associated with the participation in yoga therapy of clients with anxiety and depression and to investigate whether complementary yoga therapy leads to improvement in depression and anxiety scores.
Numerous sources of literature (Khumar 1993; Kamei 2000; Michalsen et al. 2005; Pilkington 2005; Smith et al. 2007; Javnbakht et al. 2009; Khalsa et al. 2009; Telles et al. 2009; Uebelacker et al. 2010; Field 2011; Li and Goldsmith 2012; Louie 2014; De Manincor et al. 2015) suggest that yoga interventions are potentially beneficial in the treatment of depression and anxiety. Also, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines recommend that patients with depression should be offered a structured group physical activity programme, delivered in groups, supported by a competent practitioner, typically consisting of 3 sessions per week lasting 45 minutes to 1 hour, for 10-14 weeks. As Sheffield IAPT does not currently provide any physical activity programmes, it has been agreed to support a physical activity work stream which includes projects to develop structured physical activity courses in collaboration with physical activity specialists.
The participants will consist of patients who have been diagnosed with mild to moderate depression and/or anxiety. The participants will be recruited by the staff from Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust (IAPT) centres and GP practices in the city of Sheffield. The yoga course will run over 10 weeks at Sheffield Hallam University, Collegiate Crescent Campus (the Gymnasium) and each class will last for one hour. Prior to the beginning of the first yoga class, participants will complete the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 questionnaires that would have been also administered during the initial consultation in 'usual care'. Furthermore, these questionnaires will be completed at the conclusion of the 10-week programme of yoga classes, to monitor changes in the patients' reports of anxiety and depression across three time points (e.g., pre-programme, beginning of the yoga classes, post-programme).Upon completion of the intervention programme, yoga participants will participate in a brief interview.REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/YH/0200
Date of REC Opinion
18 May 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion