Mindful Yoga Versus Relaxation for Young Adults With Symptoms of Depression: A Randomized Controlled Comparison of Two Brief Laboratory-Based Interventions

High prevalence of depression in young adults indicates the importance of finding effective treatments for this population. Mindful yoga has shown promise as a mood disorder intervention, but there remain gaps in the knowledge base, such as the mechanisms of action. These studies examined whether a short mindful yoga intervention led to greater reductions in depressed affect, compared to an active control group, and whether this effect was mediated by rumination and attentional bias.

In Study 1, undergraduates (n = 71) received nine sessions of mindful yoga or relaxation. In Study 2, undergraduates (n = 74) selected for symptoms of depression followed the same procedure as Study 1.

In Study 1, results indicated no group differences on depressed affect at post-intervention or at 2-month follow-up. Post-hoc moderation analyses showed that for participants with greater depressed affect at baseline, mindful yoga was more effective in reducing depressed affect at post-intervention and 2-month follow-up. In Study 2, at 2-month follow-up, but not at post-intervention, mindful yoga led to greater reductions in depressed affect. Neither study showed mediation effects for rumination or attentional bias.

The results suggest mindful yoga may have promise for young adults with symptoms of depression.

This study was not preregistered.