Author name & study, country

Year

Intervention and description

Age

Time of assessment

Design and sample size

Outcomes measure

Salient findings

M. Buttner et al. [14]

Iowa City, USA

2015

Hatha Yoga—Sun salutations, Balancing and relaxation poses (Savasana) group—60 minute yoga session per week, twice in week

Control group—Assessments only

18 - 50 years

At baseline, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks, and at 2 months post treatment

n = 57 Randomized assignment to yoga (N = 28) or wait-list control (N = 29) group. Enrolment time frame: up to 12 months postpartum

HDRS

(Hamilton Depression Rating Scale),

IDAS (Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms)

Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)

Yoga group improved at significantly faster rater: depression, anxiety, well-being, and HRQOL (Health-related quality of life) measures. Depressive symptoms decreased systematically over time for entire sample. Individuals in the yoga group, relative to the control group, experienced steeper linear increase in HRQOL scores during the 8-week intervention (t = 5.09; df = 52; p < 0.001). Reliable Change Index analyses revealed that 78% of women in the yoga group experienced clinically significant change

El-Aziz KSA et al. [15] Egypt

2016

Group (A) received relaxation exercises sessions for 45 minutes, 3 times/ week for 3 months in addition to home instructions and advice about controlling stressful conditions by practicing deep breathing exercise , Group (B) were given home instructions for doing deep breathing exercise during stressful conditions

Primipara women, in postpartum period after at least 1 month of vaginal delivery

At baseline, at 3 month post treatment

N = 30 Randomized assignment

Zung self-rating depression scale

In group A, there was a statistical significant decrease in the mean values of depression scale index measured at post-treatment (50.37 ± 4.35) when compared with its corresponding value at pre-treatment (68.65 ± 5.68) with Z value= −3.410 and p value= 0.001.

Also in group B there was a statistical significant decrease in the mean values of depression scale index measured at post-treatment (66.38 ± 4.94) when compared with its corresponding value at pre-treatment (69.63 ± 4.98) with Z value = −2.978 and p value = 0.003. The percentage of improvement of depression scale index was higher in group A (26.63%) than in group B (4.67%)

Hajieh Sheydaei, et al. [16]

City-Tehran, Iran

2017

Experimental group received mindfulness training for 8 sessions, each lasting for two hours, Control group received no training

Not mentioned

At baseline, at 8 weeks post treatment

n = 67 Randomized assignment to yoga (N = 32) or Control Group (N = 32)

Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Structured Clinical Interview and Psychological Clinical Diagnosis

Results showed that based on Beck Inventory, the scores for the experimental group in post-test were significant (p < 0.001), compared to those for the control group. Also, it was revealed that pre- and posttest mean scores for postpartum depression in the control group were 25.81 and 25.12 respectively while the scores for the experimental group were 24.75 and 18.5 respectively;

i.e., Mindfulness training, was effective in reducing depression symptoms

Ishita Vijay Kamat, et al. [17]

Maharashtra, India

2019

Week 1: Only breathing and mindfulness training + Shavasana (relaxation). Week 2: breathing and mindfulness exercises + Balasana (child’s pose) advice. Week 3: Both Asanas (Balasana & Padmasana) + week 1 & 2 exercises. Week 4: The patients were able to perform all the taught exercises at home. The intervention was given for 3 days per week for 4 weeks

19 - 28 years

At baseline, at 4 weeks post treatment

N = 20 Simple Random sampling

Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)Perceived Stress scale (PSS)

For the EPDS, the pre-intervention mean was 13.900 and the post-intervention mean was found to be 6.600 the p-value was <0.0001 and the t-value was found to be 14.799 with 20 degrees of freedom which was statistically considered to be extremely significant. For the PSS, the pre-intervention mean was 16.350 and the post-intervention mean was found to be 12.050 the p-value was <0.0001 and the t-value was found to be 7.538 with 19 degrees of freedom which was statistically considered to be extremely significant