Yoga Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Yoga, including details on benefits, health, treatment, back pain.

Yoga therapy as an add-on treatment in the management of patients with schizophrenia--a randomized controlled trial.

Duraiswamy G, Thirthalli J, Nagendra HR, Gangadhar BN

Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and NeuroSciences, Bangalore 560029, India.

OBJECTIVE: Treatment of schizophrenia has remained unsatisfactory despite the availability of antipsychotics. This study examined the efficacy of yoga therapy (YT) as an add-on treatment to the ongoing antipsychotic treatment. METHOD: Sixty-one moderately ill schizophrenia patients were randomly assigned to YT (n = 31) and physical exercise therapy (PT; n = 30) for 4 months. They were assessed at baseline and 4 months after the start of intervention, by a rater who was blind to their group status. RESULTS: Forty-one subjects (YT = 21; PT = 20) were available at the end of 4 months for assessment. Subjects in the YT group had significantly less psychopathology than those in the PT group at the end of 4 months. They also had significantly greater social and occupational functioning and quality of life. CONCLUSION: Both non-pharmacological interventions contribute to reduction in symptoms, with YT having better efficacy.

Published 27 July 2007 in Acta Psychiatr Scand, 116(3): 226-32.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Yoga Research Today. All Rights Reserved.