In a randomized, controlled pilot study, 18 clinically stable patients (12 men and 6 women) with schizophrenia (mean age 42±13.5) in a state psychiatric facility were randomized to an eight-week Yoga Therapy program (YT) and a Waitlist group (WL). YT intervention included yoga postures, breathing exercises, and relaxation. At baseline and at eight weeks, symptomatology was measured using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Secondary efficacy outcomes were measured with the World Health Organization Quality of Life BREF questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF). The YT group obtained significant improvements in positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia symptoms compared to WL, including PANSS scores on positive syndrome (p=0.02), negative syndrome (p<0.01), general psychopathology (p<0.00), activation (p<0.04), paranoia (p<0.01), and depression subscales (p<0.02). PANSS total scores also decreased for the YT group (p<0.00). YT had improved perceived quality of life in physical (p<0.04) and psychologic domains (p<0.01). The authors concluded that adults with schizophrenia who participated in an eight-week therapeutic yoga program showed significant improvements in psychopathology and quality of life compared with controls and that these findings should be confirmed in larger, more sufficiently powered studies with active control groups. J Altern Complement Med. 2011 Jul;17(7):601-7. PMID: 21711202.
