Yoga for Anxiety and Depression: An Umbrella Review of Meta-Analytic Evidence

Background: Anxiety and depressive disorders impose a substantial global burden. Despite pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy, many patients experience residual symptoms or treatment resistance. Yoga, integrating physical postures, breathing, and mindfulness, has emerged as a promising adjunctive therapy. Methods: This umbrella review synthesizes evidence from meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials evaluating yoga for adults with DSM- or ICD-diagnosed anxiety or depressive disorders. Eligible reviews were identified via PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Web of Science. Methodological quality was assessed using AMSTAR-2; evidence certainty with GRADE. Results: Eight meta-analyses met the inclusion criteria. Yoga produced moderate short-term reductions in depression severity (SMD −0.41 to −0.64) and improved remission rates versus passive or treatment-as-usual controls. Effects on anxiety were variable (SMD −0.09 to −1.08). Evidence certainty was low to very low due to high risk of bias, inconsistency, and imprecision. No serious adverse events were reported. Conclusions: Yoga offers moderate benefits for depression and variable effects for anxiety, with excellent safety and acceptability. Whilst promising as an adjunct, low evidence certainty necessitates large-scale, high-quality trials with standardised protocols and long-term follow-up. Key words: yoga, anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, umbrella review, meta-analysis, DSM, ICD