A randomized controlled clinical trial of a Wim Hof Method intervention in women with high depressive symptoms

Blades, R., Mendes, W. B., Don, B. P., Mayer, S. E., Dileo, R., O'Bryan, J., Fromer, E., Guan, J. Y., Cheng, S. S., Mason, A. E., Prather, A. A., & Epel, E. S. (2024). A randomized controlled clinical trial of a Wim Hof Method intervention in women with high depressive symptoms. Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology.

Highlights: Comparison between a Wim Hof Method intervention vs. an active control condition in 84 women with high depressive symptoms. Both groups improved with a 24% reduction in depressive symptoms post-intervention. Improvements were maintained at the 3-month follow-up with 46 % of the sample reporting mild or no depressive symptoms. The Wim Hof Method group reported less daily rumination after stress compared to those in the active control post-intervention. Both conditions showed lower peak cortisol reactivity to the lab stressor post-intervention.