Panacea Index Logo

Command Palette

Search for a command to run...

Assessing feasibility and acceptability of yoga and group CBT for adolescents with depression: A pilot randomized clinical trial.

Clinical child psychology and psychiatry
April 1, 2023
Lisa A Uebelacker et al. (9 authors)
Randomized Controlled TrialJournal ArticleHuman StudyClinical
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to assess the acceptability and feasibility of a yoga intervention compared to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for adolescents with depression, in preparation for a future trial testing yoga's non-inferiority to CBT.

Results Summary

Both yoga and CBT interventions met most acceptability and feasibility targets, with participants showing decreased depression symptoms and increased self-compassion over time, though engagement in unstructured home practice was low.

Population

Adolescents with elevated depression symptoms.

Effective Dosage

Not specified (12-week group-based intervention).

Duration

12 weeks.

Interactions

None mentioned.

Extracted Claims (7)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
yoga
no change
acceptability and feasibility
adolescents with depression
-
appears to be acceptable and feasible
#1
yoga
no change
acceptability and feasibility targets
adolescents with elevated depression symptoms
-
met most acceptability and feasibility targets
#2
cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
no change
acceptability and feasibility targets
adolescents with elevated depression symptoms
-
met most acceptability and feasibility targets
#3
yoga
decrease
depression symptoms
participants within each study arm
-
showed decreased
#4
yoga
increase
self-compassion
participants within each study arm
-
increased
#5
cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
decrease
depression symptoms
participants within each study arm
-
showed decreased
#6
cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
increase
self-compassion
participants within each study arm
-
increased
#7
Abstract

PURPOSE: Given increasing rates of depression in adolescents, there is a clear need for innovative treatments. In this pilot randomized clinical trial, we assessed acceptability and feasibility of two group-based interventions: yoga and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). The goal of this work is to prepare for a future fully powered randomized trial to test the hypothesis that yoga is not inferior to an established adolescent depression treatment, namely, group CBT. METHODS: We enrolled 42 adolescents with elevated depression symptoms. Participants were randomly assigned to a 12-week group-based intervention, yoga or CBT. We had a priori feasibility and acceptability targets, including for recruitment rate, retention rate, expectancy, credibility, program satisfaction, class attendance, engagement in home practice, and instructor/leader manual adherence. We assessed adverse events, and within-subject changes in outcomes (depression, anxiety, impairment, sleep disturbance) and possible mediators (mindfulness, self-compassion). RESULTS: Both interventions met most acceptability and feasibility targets. The only target not met related to low engagement in home practice. Participants within each study arm showed decreased depression symptoms over time and increased self-compassion. CONCLUSIONS: A yoga intervention appears to be acceptable and feasible to adolescents with depression. However, it may be challenging for this group to engage in unstructured home practice.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
HumansAdolescentYogaDepressionPilot ProjectsFeasibility StudiesCognitive Behavioral Therapy
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy75/10
Quality80/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations3
Citations/Year1.5
Relative Citation Ratio1.41
NIH Percentile62.8%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.50
Weight Score2.59
Normalized Score0.66
Related Supplements
Assessing feasibility and acceptability of yoga and group CB... | Panacea Index