Efficacy of mind-body exercise for perinatal depression and anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Although mind-body exercise is a promising non-pharmacological intervention, its overall efficacy for perinatal depression and anxiety remains unclear due to a lack of comprehensive assessment.

Multiple databases were systematically searched to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of mind-body exercise interventions for depressive and anxiety symptoms in perinatal women. A total of 13 studies were ultimately included. A meta-analysis was conducted to synthesize the effect sizes, and the GRADE methodology was used to assess the quality of evidence.

The meta-analysis revealed that mind-body exercise significantly improved both depression (SMD = -1.30, 95% CI: -1.86 to -0.73) and anxiety symptoms (SMD = -1.15, 95% CI: -1.84 to -0.45). However, there was extremely high heterogeneity among the studies (I ² > 93%), and the GRADE evidence quality was "very low." Subgroup analyses indicated that the improvement in depressive symptoms was associated with the duration, period, and frequency of the intervention.

Mind-body exercise may be beneficial for improving perinatal depression and anxiety, but the current evidence is of very low quality and high heterogeneity. Future research should focus on conducting large-sample RCTs with more rigorous designs and standardized reporting to provide more reliable evidence.