Does Yoga Improve Mental Health?

Given that relaxation, mindfulness, controlled breathing, and physical activity all have benefits in various mood and anxiety disorders, it seems likely that yoga, which incorporates many of these practices, would be similarly beneficial. In a systematic review, these researchers identified 16 published, randomized, controlled trials of sufficient quality that examined the effects of yoga in depression, schizophrenia, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), sleep disturbance, and eating and cognitive disorders.

Although there was “suggested” (Grade B) evidence of “potential benefit” of yoga for depression and as a treatment adjunctive to medication for schizophrenia and ADHD, the reviewers rated these studies as “low quality” for va…