August 13, 2025

Optimizing Yoga Interventions for Mental Health in Cancer Survivors—A Quantitative Assessment of Dose, Duration, and Subgroup Effects: A Bayesian and Dose‐Response Meta‐Analysis

Key Points

Yoga significantly reduces depression symptoms in cancer survivors, improving mental health outcomes.
Participants (1913) in 32 randomized controlled trials showed significant improvements, with Hedges' g = −0.41 for anxiety.
Bayesian multilevel meta-analysis assessed dose-response relationships, revealing effective dose ranges for anxiety and depression.
Findings support the integration of yoga into cancer care, emphasizing its role in enhancing quality of life and recovery.

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background As the number of cancer survivors increases, so does the number of them facing serious mental health problems, including anxiety and depression, which seriously affect their quality of life and prognosis for recovery. Yoga, as a form of mind‐body integration, has shown the potential to alleviate psychological distress in cancer survivors. However, previous meta‐analyses have some limitations. Objective This study aimed to accurately assess the overall effect of yoga on depression and anxiety in cancer survivors and its clinical significance through a Bayesian multilevel meta‐analysis and to delve deeper into the dose‐response relationship and differences in the effect of key subgroups. Methods MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases up to April 2025 were systematically searched to include randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effects of yoga on anxiety and depression in adult cancer survivors. Data were synthesized using Bayesian multilevel random‐effects models, and differences in treatment effect (Hedges' g), dose‐response relationships, moderators (age, sex), and chemoradiotherapy subgroups were analyzed. Results A total of 32 RCTs (1913 participants) were included. Results showed that yoga significantly improved depressive symptoms (Hedges' g = −0.26, 95% CrI: −0.34 to −0.19) and anxiety symptoms (Hedges' g = −0.41, 95% CrI: −0.51 to −0.31), both achieving the minimal clinically important difference. In addition, the significant dose range for depression improvement was approximately 70–380 MET‐minutes/week; for anxiety, approximately 70–240 MET‐minutes/week. Furthermore, while age and sex did not significantly moderate the outcomes, yoga was particularly effective in improving anxiety among patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy. The overall quality of the evidence was rated as “low.” Conclusions This study provides new evidence for the effectiveness of yoga in improving depression and anxiety in cancer survivors and reveals specific dose‐effect relationships. These findings support the use of yoga as a promising non‐pharmacologic adjunctive therapy to promote psychological recovery and quality of life for cancer survivors.

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