YOGA FOR DEPRESSION, SCHIZOPHRENIA, ANXIETY, PTSD AND ADHD
AND MEDITATION FOR ALL FORMS OF STRESS
SUMMARY
WHAT WE KNOW
It will come as no surprise that yoga and meditation —which come in many variations—have
long been acknowledged as allies in mastering the mind and coping with stress. Science is
increasingly validating those claims, especially for depression, schizophrenia, anxiety, PTSD
(post-traumatic stress disorder), and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Mind-body
techniques are difficult to evaluate as CAM treatments because it is not possible to double-
blind the clinical trials, but single-blind trials, open-label studies, and studies of comparative
responses to mass trauma provide a substantial scientific basis for recommending yoga as a
CAM treatment. Over 600 research studies on one form of meditation, Transcendental
Meditation, indicate the positive effects of this stress reducing technique.
Yoga and meditation are described separately in this outline, but it should be recognized that
anxiety, stress and attention problems can interfere with a person’s ability to meditate, and
yoga and other physical disciplines, including exercise and other CAM treatments, can help
bring about the relaxation response achieved through meditation. In addition, meditation is an
integral part of yoga and difficult to separate out.
MENTAL HEALTH IMPLICATIONS
In addition to the expected benefits that come with exercise or relaxation, experts suggest that
yoga and meditation may help facilitate psychotherapy.
Yoga
Studies have shown that yoga can have positive benefits for people with several types of
mental health conditions, including depression, ADHD, anxiety, schizophrenia and PTSD.