Efficacy of yoga for posttraumatic stress disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of yoga interventions for reducing PTSD symptoms and related comorbidities like depression.
Results Summary
Yoga significantly improved self-reported PTSD and depression symptoms compared to control interventions, though clinician-reported PTSD symptoms did not show improvement. No serious adverse events were reported, and the intervention was deemed safe.
Population
Adult participants with PTSD.
Effective Dosage
Not specified.
Duration
Not specified.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
yoga interventions | decrease | self-report PTSD | adult participants with PTSD | standardized mean difference [SMD]: -0.51; 95 % confidence interval [CI]: -0.68, -0.35 | significantly improved | #1 |
yoga interventions | decrease | immediate depression symptoms | adult participants with PTSD | standardized mean difference [SMD]: -0.39; 95 % confidence interval [CI]: -0.56, -0.22 | significantly improved | #2 |
yoga interventions | decrease | long-term depression symptoms | adult participants with PTSD | standardized mean difference [SMD]: -0.44; 95 % confidence interval [CI]: -0.74, -0.13 | significantly improved | #3 |
yoga interventions | no change | PTSD symptoms | adult participants with PTSD | - | were not associated with improved | #4 |
yoga interventions | no change | serious adverse events | adult participants with PTSD | - | None were indicated | #5 |
Yoga is an increasingly popular complementary intervention to reduce posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and related comorbidities, but its safety and treatment efficacy are not firmly established. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing randomized control trials (RCTs) of yoga interventions for PTSD and related secondary outcomes (e.g., depression). Initial search results found over 668 potential papers. Twenty met inclusion criteria (e.g., RCTs on adult participants with PTSD that evaluated safety or efficacy outcomes). Meta-analysis indicated that, compared to control interventions, participation in yoga interventions significantly improved self-report PTSD (standardized mean difference [SMD]: -0.51; 95 % confidence interval [CI]: -0.68, -0.35) and immediate (SMD: -0.39; 95 % CI: -0.56, -0.22) and long-term (SMD: -0.44; 95 % CI: -0.74, -0.13) depression symptoms. However, using clinician-reported assessments, yoga interventions were not associated with improved PTSD symptoms. Type of yoga differentially predicted outcomes. Sensitivity analysis showed consistent effect sizes when omitting each study from main analyses. Six studies reported whether any serious adverse events occurred. None were indicated. No publication bias was found, although individual intervention studies tended to be high in bias. Results suggest yoga is likely a safe and effective complementary intervention for reducing PTSD and depressive symptoms in individuals with PTSD. More rigorous RCTs are warranted.