Yoga to Treat Prenatal Depression

This really cool study explores the efficacy of prenatal yoga as a nonpharmacological method to mitigate the symptoms of depression in pregnant women. Each class was structured in this way:

1. an opening greeting

2. pranayama, breath awareness or meditation

3. a warm-up that included gentle, breath-linked movement

4. standing poses

5. floor poses

6. a final resting pose

7. pranayama or meditation

8. a brief class closing, including discussion of homework.

The protocol focused on breath awareness and mindfulness, which is described as ‘nonjudgemental focus on sensation experienced in the present moment.’ The yoga teachers had prenatal yoga training prior to the study and were asked to:

• demonstrate and encourage a nonjudgmental focus on sensation experienced in the present moment (i.e., mindfulness)

• emphasize breathing awareness

• have an open and non-judgmental attitude toward pregnancy and birth-related choices

• to keep in mind that participants could potentially have both positive and negative reactions to their pregnancy, and that participants may vary in degree of attachment to the developing baby

Effectiveness of the protocol was based on 3 measures. First the participants were asked to complete the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, an interviewer completed the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology, and the participants were asked to complete the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire measuring 5 different facets of mindfulness:

1. nonreactivity to inner experience

2. observing

3. acting with awareness

4. describing with words

5. nonjudging of experience

The results of this study found that participants who practiced yoga for more than 1 class a week experienced less severe depressive symptoms that week, in addition, over the course of the 10 week program women's symptoms decreased, on average, 4.4 points on the QIDS (1.4 standard deviations) and 5.5 points on the EPDS (1.0 standard deviation), a clinically meaningful reduction. In addition, as indicated in table 4, the Results of the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire as expected trended upwards from the pre-treatment to post-treatment, but the facets that were statistically significant were: acting with awareness and nonjudging of experience.

References:

Battle, C. L., Uebelacker, L. A., Magee, S. R., Sutton, K. A., & Miller, I. W. (2015). Potential for Prenatal Yoga to Serve as an Intervention to Treat Depression During Pregnancy. Womens Health Issues, 25(2), 134-141. doi:10.1016/j.whi.2014.12.003