Cognitive Behavioral Therapy vs. Yoga for Generalized Anxiety Disorder

by Srividya Vasu, BTech, MSc, PhD
October 12, 2023

More and more people struggling with anxiety disorders are turning to mind-body interventions like yoga for relief. However, it's unclear how effective these practices are in addressing anxiety.

Clinical Trial

A clinical trial compared the effectiveness of three intervention strategies in improving anxiety and depression symptoms in 226 adults diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder. This study randomly assigned participants to one of three groups: Kundalini Yoga, Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT), or stress education (control).

Results

At the end of the 12-week treatment period, CBT significantly reduced the severity of symptoms compared to those in the control group. This improvement was seen across six of the seven measures to assess anxiety and depression symptoms. This finding highlights the effectiveness of CBT in managing anxiety disorders.

On the other hand, participants who practiced Kundalini Yoga displayed lower symptom severity on three of the seven measures compared to those in the control group. While not as impactful as CBT, this suggests that yoga may still offer some benefits in reducing anxiety and depression symptoms for individuals with generalized anxiety disorder.

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No significant differences were observed between the participants who received CBT and those who practiced Kundalini Yoga. This implies that both interventions were equally effective in addressing anxiety and depression symptoms during the 12-week treatment period.

The study continued beyond the 12-week mark and included a 6-month follow-up. The results at this stage showed that participants who had received CBT continued to experience lower symptom severity compared to those in the control group. This suggests that the benefits of CBT may be longer-lasting when it comes to managing anxiety.

Conclusion

Cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) is particularly effective in reducing the severity of anxiety and depression symptoms in individuals with generalized anxiety disorder. While not as potent as CBT, Kundalini Yoga still showed some positive effects. Moreover, the benefits of CBT seemed to persist over time, making it a promising treatment option for those dealing with anxiety disorders.
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Psychiatry Research, Sep-23
About Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Anxiety Resources

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This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician. All readers/viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. CenTrial Data Ltd. does not take responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. Treatments and clinical trials mentioned may not be appropriate or available for all trial participants. Outcomes from treatments and clinical trials may vary from person to person. Consult with your doctor as to whether a clinical trial is a suitable option for your condition. Assistance from generative AI tools may have been used in writing this article.