A070: The Effect of Yoga on Depression in Adolescent Females: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Depression is common among adolescent females and has a significant impact on their quality of life and academic performance. Thus, effective interventions for lowering depressive symptoms in adolescents are needed. Yoga may be an effective form of exercise for female teenagers who are depressed. To date, no systematic research has been conducted on the effectiveness of yoga on depression in female adolescents aged 10 to 18. The objective of this review is to thoroughly evaluate the effectiveness of yoga in treating depression in female adolescents. This will generate new ideas for preventing and treating mental health problems and depression in adolescent females. Method: The search was conducted via four Chinese and English databases from the time of construction until May 2024, including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), screening studies on the effects of yoga on depression in adolescent females. The methodological quality of the included studies was rigorously assessed using the Risk of Bias 2 (RoB-2) tool for randomized controlled trials. Nine studies met the inclusion criteria, encompassing a total of 544 adolescent female participants. The studies (88.9%) demonstrated that yoga interventions were associated with significant improvements in depressive symptoms. The interventions varied in duration, frequency, and style of yoga, but common elements included mindfulness-based practices, breathing exercises, and physical postures. The findings suggest that yoga may be an effective intervention for reducing depressive symptoms in adolescent females. However, the current evidence base is limited by the small number of studies and variability in intervention protocols. Future research should aim to establish standardized yoga programs, employ larger sample sizes, and include longer follow-up periods to better understand the optimal dose of intervention and assess the sustainability of its effects