Status:
RECRUITING
Researching Heat and Yoga for Mood Enhancement
Lead Sponsor:
Massachusetts General Hospital
Collaborating Sponsors:
Tiny Blue Dot Foundation
Conditions:
Depression
Eligibility:
All Genders
18-65 years
Phase:
NA
Brief Summary
This study will examine how doing heated yoga or non-heated yoga affects depression.
Detailed Description
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of heated and non-heated yoga on depressive symptoms. Previous research trials using heated and non-heated yoga interventions have shown promisi...
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion
- adults (18-65 years old)
- able to provide consent
- are able to read and understand English
- PHQ-9 score between 10-20, indicating moderate but not severe depressive symptom severity (27)
- Must have filled out the waiver for the community-based yoga studio prior to enrolling in the study.
Exclusion
- have had a bone fracture or joint surgery in the past 6 months
- not able to walk freely or without difficulty
- have severe heart failure or lung disease
- participants endorse an item on the revised Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q+) and do not have approval from their treating physician (we will check in with treating physician in the event that participants endorse any item on the PAR-Q+)
- participants must have a physician responsible for their medical care
- are pregnant or planning to become pregnant
- no more than 6 yoga classes in the past 6 months
- have active suicidal thinking (i.e., PHQ-9 item 9 ≥1 and a positive response to C-SSRS screener items 3, 4, 5, or 6)
- report manic symptoms (Altman Self-Rating Mania Scale score ≥ 6 (28))
- are on medications that make dehydration more likely (e.g., lithium, antipsychotics, insulin-dependent)
- active eating disorders or substance use disorders within the past 12 months
- antidepressant or psychiatric medications that are initiated less than 8 weeks or a dose change less than 4 weeks prior to screening visit
- psychotherapy that has been initiated within the past 3 months
- willingness to keep psychiatric medications and psychotherapy stable throughout the course of the study
- psychiatric hospitalization within the past year
- diagnosed with any neurological disorders that would impact participation or make participation unsafe
- are currently in any active ketamine, ECT, or TMS
- are unable to follow the study procedures (e.g., not able to travel to the heated or non-heated yoga studios)
Key Trial Info
Start Date :
July 1 2025
Trial Type :
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation :
ESTIMATED
End Date :
December 1 2026
Estimated Enrollment :
120 Patients enrolled
Trial Details
Trial ID
NCT06094088
Start Date
July 1 2025
End Date
December 1 2026
Last Update
November 13 2025
Active Locations (2)
Enter a location and click search to find clinical trials sorted by distance.
1
Orange Door Collaborative
Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, 02139
2
Breathe Yoga Studio
Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, 02142