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• This is the first cost-effectiveness analysis for yoga in patients with depression. • A yoga intervention was added to treatment as usual for young women with MDD. • Adding yoga was likely to be cost-effective compared to treatment as usual only. • This was mainly due to decreased work absenteeism. In a randomized controlled trial in the Netherlands, we studied the (cost)effectiveness of adding a mindful yoga intervention (MYI+TAU) to treatment as usual (TAU) for young women with major depressive disorder (MDD). In this paper, we present the results of the economic analyses. Societal costs and health outcomes were prospectively assessed during 15 months for all randomized participants (n = 171). Symptoms of depression (Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales; DASS) and quality adjusted life years (QALYs) were used as health outcomes in the economic analyses. Mean total societal costs during the 15 months of the study were €11.966 for the MYI+TAU group and €13.818 for the TAU group, differences in mean total societal costs were not statistically significant. Health outcomes (DASS and QALY) were slightly in favour of MYI+TAU, but differences between groups were not statistically significant. Combining costs and health outcomes in cost-effectiveness analyses indicated that MYI+TAU is likely to be cost-effective compared to TAU which was confirmed by sensitivity analyses. Although there were limitations in the cost-effectiveness analysis, findings from this study suggest that MYI+TAU warrants future attention for the potential to be cost-effective compared to TAU for young women with MDD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine the added value of a 9-week mindful yoga intervention (MYI) as add-on to treatment as usual (TAU) in reducing depression for young women (18–34 years) with major depressive disorder (MDD). Method: Randomized controlled trial (RCT; n = 171) comparing TAU + MYI with TAU-only. Assessments were at baseline, postintervention, and at 6- and 12-month follow-up. Primary outcome measures were clinician-rated and self-reported symptoms of depression, together with a diagnostic interview to establish MDD diagnosis that was restricted to the baseline and 12-month follow-up assessments. Quality of life in various domains was assessed as secondary outcome measure. As potential mediators for treatment efficacy, we included self-report measures of rumination, self-criticism, self-compassion, intolerance of uncertainty, perceived body awareness and dispositional mindfulness, together with behavioral measures of attentional bias (AB) and depression-related self-associations. Results: Adding MYI to TAU did not lead to greater reduction of depression symptoms, lower rate of MDD diagnosis or increase in quality of life in various domains of functioning at post and follow-up assessments. There were no indirect effects through any of the potential mediators, with the exception of self-compassion. Conclusion: Adding MYI to TAU appeared not more efficacious than TAU-only in reducing depression symptoms in young women. What is the public health significance of this article?: Overall, this study suggests that adding a mindful yoga intervention to treatment as usual for young women with depression does not lead to increased benefits in terms of stronger reduction in symptoms of depression, lower rate of major depressive disorder diagnosis, or better quality of life within various domains of functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]