The Effects of Yoga on Student Mental Health

University of Oslo

Status: Completed

Conditions: University Students; Sleep Problem; Public Health; Depression, Anxiety; Mental Health

Treatments: Behavioral: yoga course; Behavioral: Yoga group

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04258540

2016/1751 C

Details and patient eligibility

About

The investigators performed a randomised controlled trial with 202 healthy university students in the Oslo area, with 50:50 in a yoga intervention group and a waitlist control group. Measures included symptoms of depression and anxiety, sleep problems, heart rate variability (HRV), well-being and mindfulness at week 0 (baseline), week 12 (post-intervention) and week 24 (follow-up).

Full description

Universities around the world are facing an epidemic of mental health problems among their students. The problem is truly a public health issue, affecting many and with serious consequences. Moreover, the global burden of disease-agenda calls for effective interventions with lasting effects that have the potential to improve the mental health of young adults. In this study the investigators aimed to determine whether yoga, a popular and widely available mind-body practice, can improve student mental health.

The participants were randomly assigned to a yoga group or waitlist control group in a 1:1 ratio by a simple online randomisation program. The intervention group was offered 24 yoga sessions over 12 weeks. Measurements were taken at week 0 (baseline), week 12 (post-intervention), and week 24 (follow-up). The primary outcome was psychological distress assessed by the HSCL-25 questionnaire. Analysis was performed based on the intention to treat-principle.

The methods were laid out in a protocol, previously published on the website of the study. (available at http://yogastudy.tilda.ws/). The planned analyses were very straightforward and included a description of the study participants, and simple analyses of each of the a priori selected outcome measures. We have not included or excluded any variables post-hoc.

Enrollment: 202 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Living in the Oslo area

Exclusion criteria

• No serious mental health diagnoses
• No recent major life crisis
• No systematic yoga practice during the prior six months

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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202 participants in 2 patient groups

Intervention group

Experimental group

Description:

The intervention group received a yoga course for 12 weeks, two times a week. Each yoga class was 1.25 hr in duration.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Yoga group

Control group waitlist

Active Comparator group

Description:

The control group were on a waitlist during the period of measurements, and received the same yoga course after all measurements had been completed.

Treatment:

Behavioral: yoga course