title: A randomized controlled trial of yoga for pregnant women with symptoms of depression and anxiety.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Yoga may be well suited for depressed and anxious pregnant women, given reported benefits of meditation and physical activity and pregnant women's preference for nonpharmacological treatments.
  
  
  METHODS
  We randomly assigned 46 pregnant women with symptoms of depression and anxiety to an 8-week yoga intervention or treatment-as-usual (TAU) in order to examine feasibility and preliminary outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Yoga was associated with high levels of credibility and satisfaction as an intervention for depression and anxiety during pregnancy. Participants in both conditions reported significant improvement in symptoms of depression and anxiety over time; and yoga was associated with significantly greater reduction in negative affect as compared to TAU (β = -0.53, SE = 0.20, p = .011).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prenatal yoga was found to be a feasible and acceptable intervention and was associated with reductions in symptoms of anxiety and depression; however, prenatal yoga only significantly outperformed TAU on reduction of negative affect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Muenzinger D244, 345 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309, USA. Electronic address: kyle.davis@colorado.edu.
authors.forename: Kyle
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Emory University, 467 PAIS Building, 36 Eagle Row, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. Electronic address: psysg@emory.edu.
authors.forename: Sherryl H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Goodman
authors.affiliation: Department of Community and Behavioral Health, Colorado School of Public Health, 13001 E. 17th Place, B119, Building 500, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA. Electronic address: jenn.leiferman@ucdenver.edu.
authors.forename: Jenn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leiferman
authors.affiliation: The Yoga Workshop, 2020 21st Street, Boulder, CO 80302, USA. Electronic address: maryt.mtchef@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Muenzinger D244, 345 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309, USA. Electronic address: sona.dimidjian@colorado.edu.
authors.forename: Sona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dimidjian
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000628:therapy*; D003863:Depression / Q000628:therapy*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care; D015013:Yoga
keywords: Anxiety; Depression; Pregnancy; Randomized clinical trial; Yoga