A Randomized Controlled Trial on Pranayama and Yoga Nidra for Anxiety and Depression in Patients With Cervical Cancer Undergoing Standard of Care

Abstract

Introduction Cervical cancer might intensify the psychological distress among patients with cervical cancer and the distress caused by the diagnosis and treatment. So, depression and anxiety are at higher levels in patients with cervical cancer. Yoga Nidra and Pranayama are thought to reduce the aftereffects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy potentially. So, in this study, we used the techniques of Yoga Nidra and Pranayama to evaluate their effect on patients with cervical cancer undergoing standard care. Methodology Seventy women with cervical cancer were randomized into experimental and control groups. The experimental group of patients with cervical cancer received 30 minutes of yoga intervention twice daily five days a week, for six weeks. The control group was given only the standard of care. The outcome measures were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) questionnaire. The assessment was done at baseline, second, fourth, and sixth weeks. Results The results of within‑group comparisons in both groups showed that there was a significant improvement in depression and anxiety scores, with P ≤ 0.05 being considered statistically significant. Between groups, analysis shows that in the preintervention, there was no difference between the yoga and control group as P > 0.05. After the yoga intervention, there was an enhancement in depression and anxiety scores. Conclusions The results of the study concluded that the Yoga Nidra and Pranayama module can be given as adjuvant therapy to the standard of care in patients with cervical cancer for treating the disease and treatment-related anxiety and depression.

Keywords: anxiety; cervical cancer; depression; yoga; yoga nidra.

Figure 1. Depiction of the methodological flowchart.

Source: [23]. OBG, Obstetrics and Gynecology

Figure 2. Depression levels in the control group at different time points (n).

Figure 3. Depression levels in the experimental group at different time points (n).

Figure 4. Anxiety levels in the control group at different time points (n).

Figure 5. Anxiety levels in the experimental group at different time points (n).