HEALTH AUGMENTATION VIA PERSONALIZED POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY AND YOGA (HAPPY) FOR MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER

This study involves two key phases: intervention development and a pilot controlled trial.

Phase 1 focuses on the development and content validation of the HAPPY protocol. This will be achieved through expert consultations, literature review, and refinement based on feedback from yoga therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists.

Phase 2 is a pilot controlled trial with 50 participants recruited from NIMHANS’ IPD service in psychiatry and integrative medicine. Participants meeting the inclusion criteria, such as age between 18 and 50 years and being on stable medication for depression for at least six weeks.

The intervention group will follow the HAPPY protocol, which includes activities of Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga and Bhakti Yoga like mindful movement, gratitude meditation, and Guna assessments, while the control group will participate in the validated Depression Yoga module.

The control provides a standard against which the effects of the HAPPY intervention can be measured. By comparing the intervention group (HAPPY) to the control group (using the validated Depression Yoga module), we can assess whether the HAPPY intervention offers additional or unique benefits over the existing standard.

Each participant in HAPPY intervention will have 10-15 minute, therapist-supervised sessions over two weeks, either inpatient or outpatient depending on their preference.

The study will measure multiple outcomes using validated assessment tools such as The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, WHO Well-being Scale, Five Facet mindfulness questionnaire, Pittsburg sleep quality index, Perceived Stress Scale, Yoga Practice Performance Assessment