Can yoga lift teen depression? new study tests it against talk therapy
NCT ID NCT07475845
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study is testing whether a yoga program can help ease depression symptoms in teenagers, compared to group cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Researchers will recruit 96 teens aged 12-18 with elevated depressive symptoms across two sites in Boston and Columbus. Participants will attend twice-weekly sessions for 12 weeks, with one in-person and one virtual class each week. The main goal is to see if the programs are practical and well-liked, not yet to prove which works better.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- yoga-based intervention and group cognitive-behavioral therapy
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could provide evidence that yoga is a helpful, accessible option for easing depression symptoms in teens, alongside or as an alternative to talk therapy.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage pilot study focused on feasibility, not on proving effectiveness. Results may not apply to all teens, and the study does not compare against a no-treatment group.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 96 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Jun 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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12 to 18 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Set A Inclusion Criteria. In order to be eligible to participate in this study, an individual must meet all of the following criteria: 1. Have elevated depressive symptoms, defined by: a) a score of 1 or greater on the PHQ-2 and 5 or greater on the PHQ-8 at screening; and b) a score of 10 or higher on the Quick Inventory of Depression-Adolescent Version-Clinician Rating (QIDS-A-CR), including either sad mood or anhedonia; 2. Be aged 12-18; 3. Be allowed to participate in gym class or sports at school (or, if not, medically cleared by their primary care provider or other relevant healthcare provider); 4. Be able to read and write in English; 5. Provide consent/assent appropriate to age; 6. Be able to attend group session times: 7. Have access to a private space once per week that is suitable for synchronous intervention sessions. Set A Exclusion criteria: Adolescents will be excluded if they: 1. Meet criteria for lifetime bipolar I disorder, a current psychotic disorder, or current anorexia or bulimia; or currently be in treatment for anorexia or bulimia; 2. Meet criteria for substance use disorder (SUD) in the previous 12 months, with current symptoms of sufficient severity to interfere with study participation; 3. Have severe depression (QIDS-A-CR score \> = 16); 4. Have moderate or high risk for suicide (Response of "yes" on CSSRS-Screener item 3,4,5,6 with regard to the past 3 months). 5. Have suicide ideation (Response of "yes" on CSSRS- Screener item 2) and do not currently have other mental health treatment (pharmacotherapy or psychotherapy) 6. Are pregnant; 7. Are currently (past 4 weeks) engaged in yoga classes or in gCBT; 8. Have had substantive changes in other psychiatric treatment in the previous 4 weeks (e.g., started a new depression medication; stopped or started attending psychotherapy). 9. Have a sibling or other household member active in a study intervention (for this study) at the same time. Set B Eligibility criteria Participants who are not eligible for Set A may be enrolled in Phase 2 Set B, such that they will be eligible to attend classes but their data will not be considered in our main analyses. Set B Inclusion Criteria. In order to be eligible to participate in this study, an individual must meet all of the following criteria: 1. Have elevated depressive symptoms, defined by: a) a score of 1 or greater on the PHQ-2 and 5 or greater on the PHQ-8 at screening; and b) a score of 6 or higher on the Quick Inventory of Depression-Adolescent Version-Clinician Rating (QIDS-A-CR), including either sad mood or anhedonia; 2. Be aged 12-18; 3. Be allowed to participate in gym class or sports at school (or, if not, medically cleared by their primary care provider or other relevant healthcare provider); 4. Be able to read and write in English; 5. Provide consent/assent appropriate to age; 6. Be able to attend group session times: 7. Have access to a private space once per week that is suitable for synchronous intervention sessions. Set B Exclusion criteria: Adolescents will be excluded if they: 1. Meet criteria for lifetime bipolar I disorder, a current psychotic disorder, or current anorexia or bulimia; or currently be in treatment for anorexia or bulimia; 2. Meet criteria for substance use disorder (SUD) in the previous 12 months, with current symptoms of sufficient severity to interfere with study participation; 3. Have severe depression (QIDS-A-CR score \> = 16); 4. Have moderate or high risk for suicide (Response of "yes" on CSSRS-Screener item 3,4,5,6 with regard to the past 3 months). 5. Have suicide ideation (Response of "yes" on CSSRS- Screener item 2) and do not currently have other mental health treatment (pharmacotherapy or psychotherapy) 6. Are pregnant; 7. Are currently (past 4 weeks) engaged in yoga classes or in gCBT; 8. Have a sibling or other household member active in a study intervention (for this study) at the same time.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
2 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
RECRUITINGBoston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
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Nationwide Children's Hospital
RECRUITINGColumbus, Ohio, 43215, United States
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