NCT06275217

Mindful Yoga for Postpartum Depression

The Effects of a Mindful Yoga Program on Mood Symptoms and Stress for Postpartum Women With Depressive Symptoms: a Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 198 (estimated)
• Sponsor: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 18 Years – 60 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This is a parallel-group randomized controlled trial. A total of 198 postpartum women with depressive symptoms (EPDS scores≥8 at baseline) will be recruited and randomized into two groups: 10-week mindful yoga intervention and 10-week psychoeducation program. Clinical assessment of depression, self-report questionnaires and salivary cortisol tests will be performed at baseline, after 10-week intervention, and at 6-month and 12-month follow-ups. The investigators expected that the mindful yoga intervention will reduce depression after 10 weeks compared to psychoeducation. The mindful yoga intervention will further reduce anxiety, stress, improve quality of life and sleep, and steepen diurnal cortisol slopes. These effects will be maintained for at least six months.

Conditions

• Mood Disorders

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Mindfulness-based yoga program	The intervention includes mindfulness-based components and yoga practice. Once a week for 10 weeks, with 1.5 hours in each session (30 minutes mindfulness-based practice and 1 hour yoga practice). A well-trained research personnel will facilitate the mindfulness-based section, and a qualified yoga instructor will facilitate the yoga section.
OTHER	Psychoeducation	Knowledge of perinatal mental health, stress-related management, postnatal nutrition, exercise habit and sleep hygiene will be provided to the participants in the psychoeducation group. It is a group-based intervention delivered in hybrid mode including face-to-face and online group-based class. Once a week for 10 weeks, with 1.5 hour in each session.

Timeline

• Start date: 2021-01-08
• Primary completion: 2025-07-15
• Completion: 2025-12-31
• First posted: 2024-02-23
• Last updated: 2025-03-18

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Hong Kong