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IMPACT OF ADVANCE MEDITATION TECHNIQUE ON STRESS LEVELS AND QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG MINISTERIAL EMPLOYEES Dr. Divyansh Jain
Abstract
Ministry work can be gratifying, but it also carries a risk of increasing the overall stress and decrease quality of life of ministerial employees due to various factors such as crucial paperwork, excess workload, lengthy processes, etc. To fill this gap, the advanced meditation technique (cyclic meditation) was used as an intervention for three months in this research.
Aim & objectives: To assess the level of stress, quality of life and physiological variables of Ministerial employees.
Materials & methods: A total of 104 ministerial employees (male and female) ranging in age from 21 to 45 years were selected. Ministerial employees were conveniently split into two groups: experiment (n = 52) and control (n = 52). SPSS software was used to analyze the data. Paired and unpaired sample t-tests were applied to analyze the data
Results: Results showed that After three months of cyclic meditation, there were statistically significant improvements in reducing overall stress at (p<0.01) level in the experimental group, also significant differences in overall stress levels between the experimental and control groups at (p<0.05) level and improves quality of life at (p>0.01) level.
Conclusion: Hence 3-month cyclic mediation intervention shows significant improvements in measures of overall stress levels among Ministerial employees.as per results can conclude that advance meditation (CM) is an healing intervention for reduce stress levels and enhance quality of life. Further investigation of meditation for the prevention and treatment of stress-related disease and of the underlying mechanism is warranted.
Keywords: Advance Meditation Technique, Ministerial Employees, Cyclic Meditation, Stress and Quality of Life, Respiratory Rate, Peak Expiratory Flow Rate, Weight, BMI, Breathe Holding Time.
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Introduction: The aging process and the pandemic have significantly affected the elderly population, resulting in a wide range of physiological and psychological changes. These changes have created a significant burden for the nation as the elderly is often overlooked. In response to this, the Government of India and AIIMS Bhopal developed a yoga-meditation-based intervention to help improve the mental health of the elderly (>60 years) during the pandemic.
Methodology: A retrospective case − control study was conducted on the geriatric population aged over 60 years of both sexes from March 2021 to September 2021 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhopal. The sample size was calculated to be 690 participants based on the prevalence of depression and anxiety in the elderly population and using the depression, anxiety, and stress scale 21 (DASS)-21. Participants were asked to fill out the DASS questionnaire, and those with mild to moderate depression, anxiety, or stress were randomly divided into two groups. The intervention group received a 6-week yoga-based mobile intervention, and the results were analyzed using the SPSS software version 27.
Results: The between group analysis showed that MOMMY intervention was effective in reducing symptoms of depression (t=3.38, df=93, p
Introduction:
Slow breathing techniques are commonly used to reduce stress. While it is believed by mind-body practitioners that extending the exhale time relative to inhale increases relaxation, this has not been demonstrated.
Methods:
We conducted a 12-week randomized, single-blinded trial among 100 participants to compare if yoga-based slow breathing with an exhale greater inhale versus an exhale equals inhale produces measurable differences in physiological and psychological stress among healthy adults.
Results:
Participants mean individual instruction attendance was 10.7± 1.5 sessions out of 12 offered sessions. The mean weekly home practice was 4.8 ± 1.2 practices per week. There was no statistical difference between treatment groups for frequency of class attendance, home practice, or achieved slow breathing respiratory rate. Participants demonstrated fidelity to assigned breath ratios with home practice as measured by remote biometric assessments through smart garments (HEXOSKIN). Regular slow breathing practice for 12 weeks significantly reduced psychological stress as measured by PROMIS Anxiety (-4.85S.D. ±5.53, confidence interval [-5.60, -3.00], but not physiological stress as measured by heart rate variability. Group comparisons showed small effect size differences (d=0.2) with further reductions in psychological stress and physiological stress from baseline to 12 weeks for exhale greater than inhale versus exhale equals inhale, however these differences were not statistically significant.
Conclusion:
While slow breathing significantly reduces psychological stress, breath ratios do not have a significant differential effect on stress reduction among healthy adults.
Work-related stress is a major cause of health problems worldwide. Faculty in educational institutions, including universities, also face high levels of stress, which undoubtedly affects their performance, level of personal satisfaction and wellbeing, and the relationship with students. Training interventions based on embodied learning can promote self-knowledge, emotional regulation and stress reduction, thereby increasing levels of psychological well-being. The present pilot study analyzed the impact of body awareness training in 31 university teachers using a controlled, randomized pre-post experimental design, with two experimental groups and a control group (n = 10). The two interventions were: Hatha Yoga (n = 11) and Dance Movement Therapy/Body Mind Centering (n = 10), which we have termed Body Movement Awareness. Variables related to body awareness, mindfulness, wellbeing, life satisfaction and stress were measured using self-perception tests. Cortisol levels, heart rate variability and sleep quality were also analyzed. Finally, participants’ reflections were analyzed according to a qualitative approach. The results showed significant differences between the control group and the Hatha Yoga group in terms of stress reduction and wellbeing. The Body Movement Awareness group exhibited evidence of contributions on self-knowledge, communication and kinesthetic empathy, key elements in the educational field. Despite the inherent limitations of the study, the conclusions are encouraging and open new lines of research from embodied approaches that introduce creative movement and group experience as part of the process of emotional regulation and self-knowledge.
Background: Increased level of stress has a potential impact on physical, mental, and social well-being. It was seen aggravated during the global pandemic situation of COVID-19.
Aim: The aim of this study was to find the effect of a community-based structured yoga program on the level of stress, anxiety, and depression.
Materials and Methods: This was a community-based quasi-experimental study of pre–post in type involving 26 adult participants without any preexisting morbidity. All of them were provided 12 weeks of structured yoga program of 50 min/session, ≥2 sessions/week. Psychometric questionnaire, Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), stress biomarker serum cortisol, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and rate pressure product were used to assess the primary and secondary outcome variables.
Results: A total of 26 participants (male: 6 and female: 20) were enrolled and 18 participants completed the follow-up assessment. The median number of yoga sessions attended was 22. At the end of 12 weeks, there was a significant reduction of the stress component of DASS-21 (p: 0.0018) and the serum cortisol level (p: 0.032). Other variables had a reduction but it was not significant. No adverse effect was reported by the participants.
Conclusions: This community-based yoga study showed beneficial effects among the participants. The stress level was found reduced significantly. However, the sustainable effect needed to be assessed further.
Introduction: Life satisfaction is a condition of individual happiness as a conceptualization of well-being to fulfil needs, goals, expectations and desire according to the standards made. The aging process accompanied by degenerative in the older adults is also one of the factors causing dissatisfaction in the older adults. Life dissatisfaction has an impact on the quality of life of older adults. This study aims to investigate the effect of chair yoga with spiritual intervention on the life satisfaction of older adults. Methods: This quasi-experimental study employed a pre-test and post-test design using a control group. The study involved an intervention group of 42 respondents and control group of a further 42 respondents. The sample was selected using multistage random sampling. The data were analyzed using a t-test. Results: The results of the study show that the mean score for intervention group was higher after the intervention (p=0.000). Furthermore, the mean score for life satisfaction after the intervention was significantly higher for the intervention group than for the control group (p=0.000). Conclusion: It is concluded that the use of chair yoga with spiritual intervention is a useful preventive measure to increase life satisfaction in older adults. The study also suggests that this form of intervention should be considered as a complementary nursing therapeutic practice for older adults in the community
Caregiving stress is a risk factor for cardiometabolic disease. Therefore, integrating cardiometabolic biomarkers into caregiving research provides a more comprehensive assessment of an individual’s health and response to an intervention. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of a yoga-based stress reduction intervention on stress, psychological outcomes, and cardiometabolic biomarkers in cancer caregivers. This prospective randomized controlled trial enrolled family caregivers of adult patients who underwent an allogeneic HSCT at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center. All subjects received usual care education. Participants in the intervention group received an Iyengar yoga intervention self-administered over six weeks using an audio recording file. The primary outcome was perceived stress (measured using the NIH toolbox Perceived Stress). The secondary outcomes were psychological factors (depression and anxiety measured using PROMIS® Depression and Anxiety), and cardiometabolic biomarkers measured by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. A total of 50 family caregivers (mean [SD] age, 44.9 [15.2] years; 42 [84.0%] women) were randomized, 25 to the intervention group and 25 to the control group. No group differences were noted in stress, depression, and anxiety. Significant interaction effects between group and time were found in large TRL-P (F(1,43) = 10.16, p = 0.003) and LP-IR (F(1,42) = 4.28, p = 0.045). Post-hoc analyses revealed that the levels of large TRL-P (mean difference = 1.68, CI = [0.86, 2.51], p< .001) and LP-IR (mean difference = 5.67, CI = [1.15, 10.18], p = 0.015) significantly increased over time in the control group but while remained stable in the intervention group (mean difference = -0.15, CI = [-0.96, 0.66], p = 0.718; mean difference = -0.81, CI = [-5.22, 3.61], p = 0.714, respectively). Even when perceptions of psychological distress remain unchanged, incorporating gentle yoga poses and breathing exercises may reduce the risk of cardiometabolic disease in caregivers by inhibiting the development of insulin resistance. Standard lipids of cardiometabolic risk do not appear to be robust enough to detect short-term early changes of cardiometabolic risk in caregivers.
Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02257853.
As part of the “Circuit-breaker” social distancing measure to address COVID-19, the government of Singapore closed schools and workplaces from April-May 2020. Although this helped reduce transmission rates, for working parents, this period had been a challenging experience of working from home while providing care for children full-time. Problems in the work-home interface can have a significant impact on parenting and marital harmony. We analyzed data from 201 married and employed parents in Singapore using online surveys. Latent profile analysis was used to identify profiles of parents’ work-family balance (WFB) and spousal and employer support. Linear regression was used to examine links between profiles with parenting stress and marital conflicts. Results indicated three distinct profiles of WFB and social support levels: (a) Strong (43%), (b) Moderate (38%), and (c) Poor (19%). Mothers were more likely than fathers to be in the Moderate and Poor profiles. One key finding is that profiles characterized by poorer WFB were found to be linked with higher parenting stress and increased marital conflicts. There are important variations in parents’ abilities to balance work and family and levels of social support received. Lock-downs can affect parenting and marital harmony especially for parents with poor WFB and weak social support. Any attention given to supporting working parents is vital and urgent to counter any problems in the work–family interface during a lock-down.
Introduction
Anxiety and depression have increased dramatically 2–3-fold with the COVID-19 pandemic. There is an urgent need for safe, cost-effective, and scalable approaches to alleviate this parallel mental health pandemic. Meditation has previously been shown to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms. Furthermore, online delivery of mind-body interventions will be impactful in addressing disparities in access to mental healthcare. In this observational pilot study, we investigate the impact of a digitally delivered guided meditation followed by daily practice on symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Methods
Initially, 57 male and 202 female subjects enrolled in this study. Participants attended a webinar where they learned the Isha Kriya meditation practice. They were subsequently requested to perform the intervention daily for 6 weeks. Subjects were given scales to assess anxiety and depression at baseline, 2, 4, and 6 weeks following the training. The changes in the self-reported anxiety and depression scores were examined by the linear mixed effect models.
Results
Participants completed survey responses for the following time points: baseline (n = 82), week 2 (n = 58), week 4 (n = 37), and week 6 (n = 28). During the 6 weeks of the study over 68% of subjects were compliant with their daily practice. When comparing baseline with week 2, the mean anxiety scores decreased from 25.4 to 16.8 (p < 0.01, d = 1.31). Similarly, mean depression scores decreased from 15 to 8.81 (p < 0.01, d = 0.9). The reduced scores for both anxiety and depression were maintained at weeks 4 and 6.
Conclusion
This preliminary study assesses the effectiveness of online meditation training on self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression. After 2 weeks of practice, those with baseline anxiety and depression showed significant improvement with a large effect size. The results from weeks 4 and 6 show sustained reduced anxiety and depression symptoms. These findings suggest that daily Isha Kriya practice could alleviate symptoms of these conditions. Future studies utilizing randomized control trials should be conducted to rigorously evaluate the benefits of this meditation practice on anxiety and depression.
Trials registration
ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT05065476.
Depression is the most common mental problem among the elderly, especially in long-term care facilities. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of group music intervention on depression for elderly people in nursing homes. Methods: A randomized control trial consisting of sixty-three elderly participants randomly and blindly assigned to a music group or control group was utilized. The music group received 20 sessions of group music intervention (two 30-min sessions per week for 10 weeks), and the control group received usual care with no music intervention. The Geriatric Depression Scale—Short Form (GDS-SF) and salivary cortisol at baseline, 5 weeks, and 10 weeks were collected for analysis. Results of the GEEs (generalized estimating equations) analysis indicated that after 20 sessions for 10 weeks of group music intervention, the groups showed a statistically significant difference in depression at 5 weeks and 10 weeks. There was no significant difference in the salivary cortisol concentration between the two groups. The results show that the group music intervention may effectively reduce the depression scores for elderly people in nursing homes. Conclusion: The group music intervention has positive effects on depression.
Published reports of workplace-based weight management interventions are often poorly described and are focused on dietary, physical, and behavioral management. These strategies are often unsustainable and only have short-term effectiveness. The Mind-SLIMSHAPE™ is a mindfulness-integrated multidisciplinary intervention developed to address overweight and obesity problems among desk-bound employees while improving weight-related behavior through mindfulness meditation and mindful eating exercises. The integration of mindfulness and mindful eating aims to improve the individual’s focus on the present and heighten their sensitivity towards internal and external eating cues. The aim of this article is to describe the Mind-SLIMSHAPE™ intervention program using The Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) checklist. The Mind-SLIMSHAPE™ module is a 24-week intervention program that was delivered in a quasi-experimental study among employees with BMI ≥ 25.0 kg/m² in a selected higher learning institution. The module was delivered via hybrid sessions that included both face-to-face and virtual online sessions. The novelty of our description includes summaries of each intervention component with its intensity, details of the theory grounded for this program, and the rationale for the intervention components. The Mind-SLIMSHAPE™ module is ready to be implemented and replicated in a similar setting with possible refinement and enhancement of the mindfulness and mindful eating elements.
Breast cancer-related lymphoedema (BCRL) is a global healthcare issue that has a significant impact on the emotional and life quality of breast cancer survivors. This study aims to evaluation of the effect of yoga on quality of life and emotional factors in women who have breast cancer related lymphoedema (BCRL). The subjects (women = 40) over the age of 18 from HCG Sola, Civil, and other hospitals in Ahmedabad were divided randomly into two groups; one was the experimental group (n = 20) and the other was the control group (n = 20). An unpaired t-test of all domains of the "LYMQOL ARM Lymphoedema Quality of Life Tool" was performed between the pre-data of the experimental group and the pre-data of the control group. By conventional criteria, this difference was considered to be not statistically significant. The study design was a randomised-control trial. All participants and witnesses signed the consent form. The scale used to measure the lymphoedema quality of life level of the subjects before and after the intervention of both groups was the "LYMQOL ARM Lymphoedema Quality of Life Tool" Scale, The experimental group had an eight-week yoga-based intervention. Sessions were held five days a week. The analyzed data was calculated by the dependent sample (paired) 't'-test. The experimental group's function domain score was statistically significant (p 0.0001), and due to the control group's self-management was similarly significant (p = 0.031). The experimental group's appearance score was statistically significant (p 0.0001), but the control group's was not (p = 0.1256). The experimental group's symptom score was statistically significant (p =0.0265), but the control group's was not (p =0.2371). The experimental group's emotional score was statistically significant (p 0.0001), but the control group's was not significant (p = 0.1041). The experimental group's quality of life score was statistically significant (p 0.0001), but the control group's was not (p = 0.2141). Thus study, supported yogic intervention mediated improvement in quality of life and general wellness for women with breast cancer-related lymphoedema (BCRL).
Introduction
Weight gain is common after breast cancer. Yoga, mindfulness meditation, and acupuncture may assist with managing weight. However, evidence on effectiveness is limited. This study assessed the feasibility and acceptability of recruiting for and implementing a randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluating these interventions as adjuncts to lifestyle interventions (diet and exercise) for weight management in women with breast cancer.
Methods
Qualitative study involving virtual focus groups or semi-structured interviews. Participants were recruited via email invitation from a breast cancer consumer organization and breast cancer center in Australia. Eligible participants had received treatment for breast cancer, and were fluent in English. A purposive sample of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) participants was also recruited. Focus groups and interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis with the constant comparison method.
Results
Emails were sent to 1415 women of which 37 provided data in 5 focus groups and 1 semi-structured interview, including 1 focus group (n = 6) with only women from CALD backgrounds. Yoga and mindfulness meditation were perceived as feasible and acceptable for weight management, but acupuncture was seen to be too invasive to be acceptable. A focus on wellness rather than weight reduction, flexible program delivery, trusted advice, consideration of participant burden and benefit, and peer-support were key factors perceived to increase feasibility and acceptability.
Conclusions
Yoga and mindfulness meditation are acceptable and useful adjuncts to lifestyle interventions for weight management after breast cancer. This research places end-users at the forefront of trial design, and will inform future trials using these interventions for weight management and improving health and wellbeing after breast cancer.
The rapid development and progress in industry and information technology in the industrial era 4.0, where everything is digital based, has led to significant changes in various aspects and fields of human life. This condition encourages organisations to follow and develop in line with these developments and advancements. The organisation's operations are becoming increasingly complex, so that information and software must always be updated. It will encourage paradigm shifts within the organisation, especially in increasing its effectiveness and efficiency to impact service performance. An organisation's success in carrying out an increasingly complex organisational operation will be largely determined by various factors, both external and internal factors. Organisational external factors include the economic situation, government policies, and technological developments. Besides that, internal organisational factors are factors that are entirely within the organisation. This paper seeks to understand the literature on service improvement strategies through the effectiveness and efficiency of organisational performance collected from various related sources. This research is designed using a qualitative approach through literature study. A review of service improvement strategies is carried out by reading and analysing 25 journal article review papers and summarised in two tables, namely journal articles and publisher distribution and article categories based on their subject. The findings of this study are that an effective and efficient organisational performance will impact an organisation's service performance. Improving the service performance of an organisation has several obstacles in its application, such as not all organisations can upgrade the knowledge of their organisational members. In carrying out organisational activities, some organisations still use traditional systems. These systems are not yet based on and integrated with IT systems, so system performance is slow and ineffective and efficient. In conclusion, this study found that the role of organisational policies in updating information system software is crucial in improving organisational operations in all business sectors (industrial and non-industrial) to enhance organisational service performance. Keywords Work effectiveness and efficiency, service quality and organisational performance, mini-review approach
This study tested the effectiveness of individual exercise and sport counseling in a nonclinical setting. The CO unseling based on M otives and goals in E xercise and spor T (COMET) approach focuses on individual motives and goals and aims to identify suitable activities. Participants experience different exercise and sport activities and reflect on them with a counselor, who applies motivational interviewing. A stratified randomized controlled design with 129 people was used. The intervention group took part in a counseling event, which included feedback on motives and goals, trial exercise and sport sessions, and structured reflection. Four weeks later, members of the group got a telephone booster. The control group received minimal intervention as written information. Results show that the counseling promoted motivational competence (η ² = .16), physical activity–specific self-control (η ² = .08), and the weekly volume of exercise and sport (η ² = .15), whereas it did not influence self-concordance. Further studies can investigate whether the COMET approach is also effective in other settings.
Background
Several investigations suggest that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) provokes larger changes in VO2max compared to moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT); other studies associate HIIT with significant decreases in total, abdominal and visceral fat mass. However, some meta-analyses express that the enhancements with HIIT on VO2max are slightly higher concerning MICT. These studies had low-to-moderate methodological quality, and the exercise protocols were completed mostly on treadmills or cycle ergometers. Thus, the objective of this study was to compare the effect of a low-volume HIIT versus a MICT program on VO2max, body fat percentage (BFP), and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in overweight women. It followed a research protocol with high methodological rigor and good reporting quality.
Methods
After two physical adaptation weeks (run-in period), thirty-five volunteers were randomized to HIIT (n = 16) or MICT (n = 19). Both groups performed 24 sessions on a grass sports field (walking, jogging or running). The HIIT group completed 15 bouts of 30 seconds [90–95%, maximal heart rate (HRmax)], while the MICT group completed 30 minutes of continuous exercise (65–75% HRmax).
Results
The difference between HIIT and MICT post-intervention on VO2max was not statistically significant (0.8 ml/kg/min. CI 95%, −1.0 to 2.7, p = 0.37). Similarly, no statistically significant differences were found between groups for BFP and HRQoL.
Conclusions
Low-volume HIIT program has no quantitative advantage compared with that resulting from MICT, in VO2max, BFP, and HRQoL. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03300895.
We built a deep learning algorithm to predict the deterioration of health symptoms among asthmatic children between 8–12 years of age. It is based on Peak Expiratory Flow Rates (PEFR) and indoor air pollution data, as well as meteorological data collected at their indoor residences every 2 minutes using portable monitoring devices with a low-cost sensor between November 2018 and March 2019. The PEFR results collected twice a day were matched with daily PM2.5. A personalized model has been developed to predict the peak expiratory flow rate of the next day, considering indoor air quality data including PM2.5, humidity, temperature, and CO2 level in previous days. Two models were developed incorporating Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) with the PEFR-only model. The IAQ uses the daily IAQ, and 10-minute basis IAQ in predicting the future PEFR. Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN) and Deep Neural Networks (DNN) models were trained using 4 months of linked data to predict PEFR for the next days during the study period. The 10-minute RNN model was found to predict better PEFR with a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 42.5 and a Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) of 14.0, as it consolidates the cumulative effects of PM2.5 concentrations over time. The highly accurate estimation showed that indoor air quality significantly affects PEFR.
The paper deals with the Adjustment Ability: Its Parameters and Definition with respect to psychological context. It develops on the basis of educational psychology. In this paper an attempt has been made to find out, analyze, synthesize, evaluate and critically examine the dominant parameters responsible for strengthening adjustment ability. The paper concludes that adjustment ability may be defined as "an ability or intelligence of a person in handling or getting along with the conflicts in a positive manner and strengthen self, fulfilling the educational, emotional, psychological, social, and moral needs to lead a constructive and creative life in the new situation of the healthy environment".
BACKGROUND: The spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has spread throughout the world and has created a level of fear, uncertainty that has an impact on several aspects of life including mental health. The rapid spread of the Corona Virus or COVID-19 throughout the world has damaged the order of life starting from the economy, social, politics, education, culture, religion and health. Various efforts have been made by the Indonesian government with social distancing or physical distancing, washing hands with soap and staying active at home. Conditions that change suddenly will make people unprepared to deal with it, especially in the psychological condition of the Indonesian people who experience a lot of anxiety. AIM: The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of mindfulness meditation based on spiritual care on the level of community anxiety due to the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This type of research uses experimental quantitative research using a randomized controlled trial research design. This research was conducted for 4 weeks in January-February 2021. The population of this study is the Surabaya community. The sampling technique used consecutive sampling technique and was divided into two groups, namely the intervention group as many as 61 respondents and the control group as many as 61 respondents. Data analysis used paired t test and independent t test with a significance value of p < 0.05. This research questionnaire uses the DASS 42 questionnaire has reliability 0.82 and the validity test gets the Cronbach alpha value is 0.85. RESULTS: The average level of anxiety before doing the spiritual care-based mindfulness meditation intervention in the intervention group was 17.28 (severe anxiety) and 17.18 in the control group (severe anxiety) with p = 1.000 which means there is no difference in the average level of anxiety whereas After being given the intervention, the average level of anxiety in the intervention group was 6.03 (normal anxiety) and 18.06 in the control group (severe anxiety) with p = 0.000, which means that there is a difference in the average level of anxiety in the intervention group and the control group after being given the intervention. CONCLUSION: Mindfulness meditation based on spiritual care can reduce people’s anxiety levels during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been used widely as a useful tool for the alleviation of various stress-related symptoms. However, the effects of MBIs on stress-related physiological activity have not yet been ascertained. MBIs primarily consist of focused-attention (FA) and open-monitoring (OM) meditation. Since differing effects of FA and OM meditation on brain activities and cognitive tasks have been mentioned, we hypothesized that FA and OM meditation have also differing effects on stress-related physiological activity. In this study, we examined the effects of FA and OM meditation on autonomic cardiac modulation and cortisol secretion. Forty-one healthy adults (aged 20–46 years) who were meditation novices experienced 30-min FA and OM meditation tasks by listening to instructions. During resting- and meditation-states, electrocardiogram transducers were attached to participants to measure the R-R interval, which were used to evaluate heart rate (HR) and perform heart rate variability (HRV) analyses. Saliva samples were obtained from participants pre- and post-meditation to measure salivary cortisol levels. Results showed that FA meditation induced a decrease in HR and an increase in the root mean square of successive differences (rMSDD). In contrast, OM meditation induced an increase in the standard deviation of the normal-to-normal interval (SDNN) to rMSSD ratio (SDNN/rMSSD) and a decrease in salivary cortisol levels. These results suggest that FA meditation elevates physiological relaxation, whereas OM meditation elevates physiological arousal and reduces stress.
Background:
The outbreak of COVID-19 and its associated measures has resulted in a sizeable working population transitioning to working from home (WFH), bringing additional challenges, and increasing work-related stress. Research has indicated that yoga has promising potential in reducing stress in the workplace. However, there are very few studies exploring the impact of online streamed yoga on stress management for people-WFH.
Objective:
To investigate the feasibility and outcome of an online streamed yoga intervention on stress and wellbeing of people-WFH during COVID-19.
Methods:
A six-week pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) yoga intervention was designed with yoga (n = 26) and a wait-list control group (n = 26). A mixed two-way ANOVA was used to assess changes in standardised outcome measures at baseline and post-intervention. Likert and open-ended questions assessed enjoyment, acceptability and perceived benefits of the program, which were analysed thematically.
Results:
Compared with the control, the yoga group reported significant improvements in perceived stress, mental wellbeing, depression and coping self-efficacy, but not stress and anxiety. Participants experienced physical and mental health benefits and reported high acceptability and enjoyment of the intervention.
Conclusions:
An online yoga intervention can help people WFH manage stress and enhance wellbeing and coping abilities.
Background
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection has caused a prominent psychological and mental havoc among the patients. Till now, there is paucity in literature for the management of psychological problems among patients with Covid-19. So we aimed in our study to assess the effect of Yoga and Naturopathy intervention on anxiety and depression of Covid-19 patients.
Methods
This quasi experimental study was conducted among 130 Covid-19 positive patients admitted in a tertiary care hospital. Yoga and Naturopathic intervention was given for 60 min a day for two weeks. Hospital anxiety depression scale (HADS) and Corona anxiety scale (CAS) was used to assess the generalized anxiety and depression among the patients.
Results
Average age of the patients participated was 44 with the range from 36 to 53 years. Among them 85 were male and 45 were female. Of all 130 patients, 33% had symptoms of borderline depression, 9.2% had severe depression, 40% had borderline anxiety and 12.3% had severe anxiety. In CAS, 59 patients (45.38%) reported Covid-19 related dysfunctional anxiety. All the patients showed a significant reduction in the HADS- anxiety (P < 0.01), HADS-depression (p < 0.01) and CAS (p < 0.01) score after the intervention.
Conclusion
The present study showed significant reduction of anxiety and depression level among the Covid-19 patients. These interventions can be added to the conventional care for better mental and physical wellbeing of the patients after validating the findings with justified study design.
This research is qualitative which aims to describe grammatical form of wish and hope, to classify elements of wish and hope sentences, and to analyse meaning of both words based on meaning tendency of grammatical form and elements. This research uses British National Corpus as data source, then the data are presented informally. This research shows that hope and wish have the same 5 grammatical forms, but hope and wish cannot be used interchangeable for having different tendency. Hope and wish can be synonymous conceptually, but characteristically they cannot be (real-unreal, and desired-wanted).
Recent research suggests that mindfulness meditation may impair motivation towards traditional laboratory tasks. The present research explored the effects of meditation on motivation towards personal goals and an anagram task. In Study 1 (n = 200), participants in the mindfulness condition reported greater goal motivation than those in a comparison podcast condition (due to a decrease in the podcast condition); this difference remained 10 minutes later. Exploratory analyses revealed no differences between conditions in post‐manipulation anagram motivation. In Study 2 (n = 120), participants in the mindfulness condition reported greater goal motivation than those in the podcast condition; this difference remained 20 minutes later. There were no differences between conditions in anagram motivation. Furthermore, goal motivation increased from before to after meditating, whereas anagram motivation remained the same. These findings oppose the notion that meditation impairs motivation and instead suggest that meditation may offer motivational benefits for personal goal pursuit.
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Aim
To investigate impact of Yoga and Music Intervention on anxiety, stress, and depression levels of health care workers during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Methods
This study was conducted to assess psychological responses of 240 healthcare workers during COVID-19 outbreak. We used Yoga and Music Intervention in normal and abnormal subjects based on Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-42 (DASS-42).
Results
Of all 209 participants, 105 (50.23%) had symptoms of depression (35.88%), anxiety (40.19), and stress (34.92%) alone or in combination. The data suggest that there is significant improvement in test scores after intervention. Majority of persons with abnormal score exhibited improved DASS-42 score on combined interventions of Yoga and music compared to control group. Even subjects without abnormalities on DASS-42 score also showed improved DASS-42 scores in intervention (n = 52) group compared to nonintervention (n = 52) group.
Conclusions
Our findings highlighted the significance of easily available, simple, inexpensive, safe nonpharmacological interventions like Yoga and Music therapy to overcome stress, anxiety, and depression in present times.
Background
Thalassemia have a negative impact on the patients' psychological health and sleep quality. This study aimed to determine the effects of a positive thinking training program on hope and sleep quality of patients with thalassemia major.
Methods
This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 78 patients with thalassemia major including 36 males (46.2%) and 42 females (53.8%) with a mean age of 25.56 ± 29.6 in Iran. Subjects were randomly assigned into experimental and control groups. Experimental group received 16 h training based on positive thinking materials published by Martin Seligman. Control group received only usual programs. Data were collected at baseline, as well as immediately and one month after the intervention, using Snyder’s Hope Scale and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Data analysis was performed using SPSS Software 18.0; statistical tests included the independent T-test, the Chi-square, Mann Whitney, and Friedman test. Significance level was set at 0.05 in this study.
Results
The experimental group had a significantly higher mean hope score compared to the control group immediately (45.38 ± 7.82 vs. 35.32 ± 5.54, P < 0.001) and one month following intervention (44.67 ± 3.47 vs. 35 ± .54, P < 0.001). Moreover, the mean sleep quality scores of the experimental group was significantly greater than that for control group immediately (5.35 ± 2.02 vs. 7 ± 2.4, P = 0.004) and one month after the intervention (4.23 ± 2.2 vs.7.02 ± 3.03, P < 0.001).
Conclusion
Since our training program on positive thinking improved hope and quality of sleep in patients with thalassemia major, we recommend the use of such courses as an important step toward promotion of hope and sleep quality among these patients.
Trial registration The name of the registry: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials. Trial Registration Number: IRCT2017010431774N1. URL of the trial registry record: https://en.irct.ir/trial/24923. Registration Date: 07/03/2017.
Background.:
Nursing staff suffer from various level of stress and burnout. We aimed to assess the effect of 12 weeks of structured yoga on stress and the professional quality of life among nursing staff.
Design and method.:
An open-label, phase-II randomized clinical trial was undertaken considering a sample size of convenience was done. In service nursing staff were randomized (1:1) to intervention group and wait-list control group. Primary outcome was perceived stress which was measured by Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Secondary measures were professional quality measured by Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) scale, blood pressure, serum cortisol, and high-sensitive C-reactive protein. Both the per-protocol and intention to treat analysis was done.
Results.:
Total 113 participants were allocated to intervention group (n = 58, mean = 35 years, SD = 7.9 years) and wait-list control group (n = 55, mean = 32.5 years, SD = 6.8 years). After 12 weeks, 19 participants of intervention group and 32 participants of wait-list control group were included in the per-protocol analysis. Follow-up mean PSS score was 15.4 (95% CI 12.6-18.2, SD 5.8) in intervention group, 20.7 (95% CI 19.7-21.7, SD 2.8) in wait-list control group (p-value < 0.0001). The other parameters didn't differ between the groups and from baseline to end line too.
Conclusions and relevance.:
The finding showed supervised structured yoga may be efficacious to reduce stress. Studies with larger sample size are needed to confirm the findings.
Trial registration.:
It was approved by the Institute Ethics Committee (Reference no: IECPG-543/20.12.2017, RT-57/31.01.2018) and was registered prospectively in the Clinical Trial Registry of India prospectively (No. CTRI/2018/02/012206).
Juvenile delinquency is the result of negative self-concept. Self-concept is essence of personality. To Study the effect of Pragya Yoga and Parnakarshana Pranayama on self-concept level of juvenile delinquents, this prospective study was done on juvenile delinquents of Chhattisgarh, India. For this study, permission was obtained from the superintendent of Juvenile Care Home, Raipur-Chhattisgarh, India. A total hundred (N=100) participants were selected by experimental control group design. 14 to 18 years juvenile delinquents were selected for this study. In this study, to measure self-concept level, the self-concept scale constructed by Dr. R.K Saraswat was used. All participants were divided in two groups, an experimental group (N=50) and a control group (N=50). The groups were divided in such a way that there was no statistical significance difference in baseline mean between both the groups before the start of the study. The practice of Pragya Yoga and Pranakarshana Pranayama was done regularly for 45 days by the experimental group. The result showed that Pragyayoga and Pranakarshana Pranayama treatment lead to to significant improvement of self-concept of juvenile delinquents (p<0.01) indicating utility of these Yogic practices in Juvenile delinquency.
Objectives: Diabetes is a chronic, progressive and life-threatening metabolic syndrome that causes physical complications
such as amputation, psychological complications and crisis in one's life, which leads to increased
expression of spirituality and increased use of spiritual support as a coping mechanism. The aim of the present
study was to investigate the effect of spiritual care on the spiritual wellbeing of type-2 diabetic amputees.
Materials and methods: In the present clinical trial study, 54 type-2 diabetic amputees were randomly divided into
two groups; namely, experimental and control in 2014 and underwent transcendental meditation (TM) in three
sessions. The 20-item spiritual well-being scale (SWBS) (Paloutzian and Ellision), which measures the spiritual
well-being dimensions, was completed by patients before and after the intervention. Data analysis was performed
using descriptive and inferential methods (paired T-test, independent t-test, Fisher's exact test, mann-whitney test,
and chi-square) in SPSS ver. 16.
Results: The results showed no statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups in
terms of mean spiritual wellbeing before the intervention, but, the post-intervention mean spiritual wellbeing
score in the control and experimental groups was 97.82 � 9.25 and 88.40 � 9.47, respectively. (α ¼ 0.05) (P ¼
0.001).
Conclusion: According to the results of the present study, it seems that spiritual care is able to improve the spiritual
wellbeing status of individuals.
The worldwide spread of COVID-19 has upset the normality of Italian daily life, forcing population to social distancing and self-isolation. Since the containment precautions also concern sport-related activities, home workout remained the only possibility to play sports and stay active during the pandemic.
The present study aimed to examine changes in the physical activity levels during self-quarantine in Italy, and the impact of exercise on psychological health.
A total of 2974 Italian subjects has completed an online survey, but only 2524 subjects resulted eligible for this study. The questionnaire measured the total weekly physical activity energy expenditure before and during quarantine (i.e. the sum of walking, moderate-intensity physical activities, and vigorous-intensity physical activities) in Metabolic Equivalent Task minutes per week (MET–min/wk) using an adapted version of International Physical Activity Questionnaire and their psychological well-being using the Psychological General Well Being Index. Of the 2524 Italian subjects included in the study, 1426 were females (56.4%) and 1098 males (43.6%). Total physical activity significantly decreased between before and during COVID-19 pandemic (Mean: 2429 vs. 1577 MET–min/wk, ∗∗∗∗p < 0.0001), in all age groups and especially in men (Female, mean: 1994 vs. 1443 MET–min/wk, ∗∗∗∗p < 0.0001; Male, mean: 2998 vs. 1754 MET–min/wk, ∗∗∗∗p < 0.0001). Furthermore, a significant positive correlation was found between the variation of physical activity and mental well-being (r = 0.07541, ∗∗∗p = 0.0002), suggesting that the reduction of total physical activity had a profoundly negative impact on psychological health and well-being of population.
Based on this scientific evidence, maintaining a regular exercise routine is a key strategy for physical and mental health during a forced rest period like the current coronavirus emergency.
In the context of workplace health promotion, physical activity programs have been shown to reduce musculoskeletal diseases and stress, and to improve the quality of life. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of using the “five-Business” stretch training device for office workers on their quality of life. A total of 313 office workers (173m/137f) participated voluntarily in this intervention–control study with an average age of 43.37 ± 11.24 (SD) years, 175.37 ± 9.35 cm in height and 75.76 ± 15.23 kg in weight, with an average BMI of 24.5 ± 3.81 kg/m2. The participants completed the stretch training twice a week for approximately 10 minutes for a duration of 12 weeks. The SF-36 questionnaire was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention at baseline and after 12 weeks. Significantly improved outcomes in mental sum score (p = 0.008), physical functioning (p < 0.001), bodily pain (p = 0.01), vitality (p = 0.025), role limitations due to physical problems (p = 0.018) and mental health (p = 0.012) were shown after the stretching training. The results suggest that a 12-week stretching program for office desk workers is suitable to improve significantly their health-related quality of life.
Background:
A student mental health crisis is increasingly acknowledged and will only intensify with the COVID-19 crisis. Given accessibility of methods with demonstrated efficacy in reducing depression and anxiety (e.g., mindfulness meditation and cognitive behavioural therapy [CBT]) and limitations imposed by geographic obstructions and localized expertise, web-based alternatives have become vehicles for scaled-up delivery of benefits at modest cost. Mindfulness Virtual Community (MVC), a web-based program informed by cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) constructs and featuring online videos, discussion forums, and videoconferencing was developed to target depression, anxiety, and experiences of excess stress among university students.
Objective:
Assessment of an eight-week web-based mindfulness and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) program in reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress (primary outcomes) and increasing mindfulness (secondary outcome) within a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with undergraduate students at a large Canadian university.
Methods:
An RCT was designed to assess undergraduate students (n = 160) who were randomly allocated to a web-based guided mindfulness-CBT condition (n = 80) or to a waitlist control condition (WLC) (n = 80). The eight-week intervention consisted of a web-based platform consisting of (1) 12 video-based modules with psycho-education on students' preidentified life challenges and applied mindfulness practice; (2) anonymous peer-to-peer discussion forums; and (3) anonymous, group-based, professionally guided 20-minute live videoconferences. The outcomes (depression, anxiety, stress, and mindfulness) were measured via online survey at baseline and at eight weeks post-intervention using the Patient Health Questionniare-9 (PHQ9), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the Five Facets Mindfulness Questionnaire Short Form (FFMQ-SF). Analyses employed generalized estimation equation (GEE) methods with AR(1) covariance structures and were adjusted for possible covariates (gender, age, country of birth, ethnicity, English as first language, paid work, unpaid work, relationship status, physical exercise, self-rated health, and access to private mental health counselling).
Results:
Of the 159 students who provided T1 data, 32 were males and 125 were females with a mean age of 22.55 years. Participants in the MVC (n = 79) and WLC (n = 80) groups were similar in sociodemographic characteristics at T1 with the exception of gender and weekly hours of unpaid volunteer work. At post-intervention follow-up, per the adjusted comparisons, there were statistically significant between-group reductions in depression scores (β = -2.21, P = .01) and anxiety scores (β = -4.82, P = .006) and a significant increase in mindfulness scores (β = 4.84, P = .02) compared to WLC. There were no statistically significant differences in perceived stress for MVC (β = .64, P = .48) compared to WLC.
Conclusions:
With MVC intervention, there were significantly reduced depression and anxiety symptoms but no significant effect on perceived stress. Online mindfulness interventions can be effective in addressing common mental health conditions among post-secondary populations on a large scale, simultaneously reducing the current burden on traditional counselling services.
Clinicaltrial:
https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN12249616.
The purpose of the study was to find out the effect of Bhastrika pranayama practices on breath holding time among M.S University hostel men students. To achieve the purpose of this study, 20 men Hostel students were randomly selected as subjects from the Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Abishekapatti, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India. Their age ranged from 18 to 25 years. The selected participants were randomly divided into two groups such as group 'A' Bhastrika pranayama practices (n=10) and group 'B' acted as control group (n=10). Group 'A' underwent Bhastrika pranayama practices for alternative three days and each session lasted for an hour for six week. Control group was not exposed to any specific training but they were participated in regular activities. The "nostril clip method" (seconds) was used to measure breath holding time were selected as variables. The pre and post tests data were collected on selected criterion variables prior and immediately after the training program. The pre and post-test scores were statistically examined by the dependent 't' test and Analysis of co-variance (ANCOVA). The level of significant was fixed at 0.05 level. It was concluded that the breath holding time group had shown significantly improved in breath holding time. However the control group had not shown any significant improvement on breath holding time.
This quasi-experimental study used a convenience sample of nursing students (n = 49) to evaluate the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation on anxiety. Students participated in mindfulness meditation sessions and completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. A statistically significant reduction in trait anxiety was found in the intervention group (p = .000); state anxiety decreased but not significantly. In contrast, anxiety increased significantly in the comparison group, but progression was not significantly different between groups. Trait anxiety may decrease with mindfulness meditation.
Among a sample of only female school teachers, we compared a mindfulness meditation (MM) training group (n = 19) with a waiting-list control group (n = 20) on several participant-completed questionnaires: the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, the Big Five Personality Inventory, the Teacher Stress Inventory, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. With these measures, we assessed the participants’ dispositional mindfulness, personality styles, and their stress and burnout. Following mindfulness training, teachers in the MM group showed higher trait mindfulness and conscientiousness and lower neuroticism and stress and burnout levels than teachers in the waiting-list control group. These results support the beneficial role of MM in individuals’ effective management of stressful conditions in the workplace.
Background
Anxiety is one's response to stress. Its symptoms can be psychological, physical, or environmental challenges. Depression is a common mental disorder that presents with depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure, feeling of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, low energy, and poor concentration. Yog nidra is probably the best known technique to induce complete physical and emotional relaxation.
Aim
The aim of this study was to explore the effectiveness of yog nidra for reducing anxiety and depression among first-year professional students.
Materials and Methods
The level of anxiety was measured by using State, Trait, and Free-Floating Anxiety Scale developed by Tripathi and Rastogi (1986). The Hindi version of Beck Depression Inventory by Arora and Prashant (1988) was used to assess the depression level of participants. The study was conducted in three phases. In Phase-1 (preintervention), data were obtained from 201 students. In the Phase-2 (intervention phase), the participants were selected on the basis of high scores on the measures of anxiety and depression and divided into intervention (28 students) and non-intervention groups (30 students). The intervention group was given yog nidra training regularly for 5 weeks. Posttest was conducted after 5 weeks of the intervention.
Results
The results showed a reduction in mean scores on the measures of anxiety and depression within the intervention group but not in the nonintervention group, which indicated the effectiveness of practicing yog nidra for reducing anxiety and depression and its positive effects among professional students.
Conclusion
A dramatic effect of practicing yog nidra was observed among students for reducing anxiety and depression.
Menopause is a physiological phenomenon, which in some cases may lead to physical and psychological complications. These complications degrade happiness and quality of life. The authors conducted the current study to determine the impact of physical activity (PA) and group discussion (GD) on happiness in postmenopausal women. For this clinical trial with a factorial design, 160 eligible menopausal women in the 45-55 age range were randomly assigned to four groups of PA, GD and GD+PA), and control group. The four groups completed the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire. The happiness score in the PA, GD and GD+PA groups was significantly higher immediately and two months after the intervention than that of the control group. PA and GD can increase happiness in postmenopausal women who reside in Kermanshah-Iran. Using PA and GD in postmenopausal women care programs is recommended.
Background
Nursing students experienced mental symptoms when they switched to distance education due to the pandemic.
Aims
This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of online laughter therapy sessions on depression, anxiety, stress, and loneliness levels in first-year nursing students.
Methods
In this randomized controlled trial, 61 healthy nursing students were randomly assigned to intervention (n = 32) and control groups (n = 29). The intervention group received online laughter therapy twice weekly for four weeks. The control group received no intervention. The data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, and the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale at the study initiation and week four in both groups.
Results
There was no difference between the mean scores of the groups in the pre-test (p > 0.05). There was a statistically significant difference between groups in terms of depression after online laughter therapy sessions (p < 0.05), but there was no significant difference between anxiety, stress, and loneliness levels (p > 0.05).
Conclusions
Online laughter therapy sessions significantly reduced depression but had no effect on anxiety, stress, and loneliness. During the COVID-19 pandemic, online laughter therapy can be organized to reduce depression levels.
Due to stressful environment as a result of academic, career, parental, and societal pressures that students face today, high stress, anxiety, depression, and conflict are very common. Students with high caliber can be seen to wander aimlessly, which can be an alarming situation. This study took a lead from the ancient Indian philosophy of practicing yoga and meditation to start the day to combat the above situation. Meditation enables one to focus on the present moment, leading to a state of thoughtless awareness. The study aimed at training students in a particular way, so that they can keep clear of unproductive and aimless approach and concentrate their energy and creativity on their goal of life.
The objective of the study was to observe self-efficacy and well-being among students in a pre- and post-test design to investigate the effect of goal meditation as an intervention. Sixteen postgraduate students (age range 22 to 24 years) selected through purposive sampling participated in the study with their due consent. The post-test data on self-efficacy and well-being were gathered six months after the administration of the intervention. Data analysis employed the Wilcoxon signed rank test.
Results indicated significant differences in pre- and post-intervention measures of self-efficacy and well-being. Based on these results, it was concluded that goal meditation is effective in enhancing self-efficacy and well-being among students.
Background and objectives
Academic stress can exert severe stress in adolescents answering their career deciding board exams. The present study attempted to understand the efficacy of Yoga Nidra (YN) in mitigating psychosocial stress.
Design
and Methods: This study was carried on 10th-grade students (ages 14 to 16) and had two arms, one performing YN (experimental) and the other without YN (control) for 21 consecutive days. Modified Adolescent Stress Questionnaire (ASQ-I) was used to assess the stress in the students before and after the intervention.
Results
The results indicate that performing YN was effective and significantly decreased the total stress (P < 0.001) and vital domains like the stress of home life (P < 0.005), school performance (P < 0.026), teacher interaction (P < 0.024), future uncertainty (P < 0.001), school and leisure conflict (P < 0.001). Also, at the end of the study in control, low and moderate stress was observed in 58.06% and 41.93%, while in the YN group, it was 96.15% and 3.85% and was statistically significant (p < 0.001).
Conclusions
This study shows that YN effectively reduced psychosocial stress in adolescents and could be useful in school curriculum.
Patients with migraine suffer from high morbidity related to the repeated headache attacks, characteristic of the disorder, poor sleep, and a high prevalence of comorbid psychosocial disorders. Current pharmacological therapies do not address these aspects of migraine, but nonpharmacological treatments such as mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) have been shown to improve both pain and psychological well-being. In this secondary analysis, we examined the change over time in sleep quality and psychosocial outcomes from the magnetic resonance imaging outcomes for mindfulness meditation clinical trial and assessed how these mediated treatment response (50% reduction in headache frequency postintervention). We also examined the relationship between baseline values and treatment response. The trial (primary outcomes previously reported) included 98 patients with episodic migraine randomized to either enhanced MBSR (MBSR+) or stress management for headache. They completed psychosocial questionnaires and headache diaries at baseline (preintervention), midintervention (10 weeks after baseline), and postintervention (20 weeks after baseline). There was a significant improvement in sleep quality from baseline to postintervention ( P = 0.0025) in both groups. There were no significant changes from baseline or between groups in anxiety, depression, and stress. There was also no significant association between baseline scores and treatment response. Mediation analysis showed a significant indirect effect of 6% for sleep: In other words, small improvements in sleep may have contributed to the efficacy of MBSR+.
Trial registration: NCT02133209.
Background:
The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of evidence-based educational materials and access to local resources on physical activity (PA) levels, beliefs, and motivation (including self-efficacy) regarding PA during pregnancy in a rural setting.
Methods:
Information on PA levels (step counts, Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire) and beliefs and motivation regarding PA (main surveys: Exercise Beliefs Questionnaire, Protection Motivation Theory and Health Action Process Approach) were collected between 8 and 16 weeks gestation. Women from a rural community were randomly assigned to the PA group (PAG, n = 38) or control group (n = 32). The PAG participants received an evidence-based educational brochure and access (at no charge to them) to local fitness facilities. At approximately 34 to 37 weeks gestation, baseline assessments were repeated.
Results:
Sedentary time was significantly different between groups over time, with control participants increasing sedentary time and PAG participants decreasing sedentary time (P = .04). Sixteen women (42%) in the PAG utilized the resources provided (prenatal yoga being utilized most). Postintervention, there was a significant group × time interaction for Perceived Self-Efficacy scores; scores in the PAG remained consistent with baseline values, whereas scores in the control group decreased (P = .03).
Conclusions:
The intervention reduced sedentary time and maintained self-efficacy scores during pregnancy.
Objective
Patients with depression frequently experience persistent residual symptoms even with optimal interventions. These patients often use complementary treatments, including yoga, as a preferred alternative or adjunctive treatment. There is evidence for the benefit of yoga for depression, but this has not been rigorously evaluated, particularly in bipolar depression. We aimed to determine the feasibility and benefit of manualized breathing-focused yoga in comparison to psychoeducation as augmentation to pharmacotherapy for improving residual symptoms of depression in unipolar and bipolar patients.
Methods
Using a randomized single-blind crossover design, 72 outpatients with unipolar or bipolar depression were augmented with the two 8-week interventions at separate times, as add-ons to current first-line antidepressants and mood stabilizers. The primary outcome measure was the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). Due to the high dropout of participants after crossover at Week 8, analysis focused on between-group comparisons of yoga and psychoeducation during the initial 8 weeks of the study.
Results
There was a significant decline in depressive symptoms, as measured by the MADRS, following 8 weeks of yoga. However, there was no significant difference in MADRS ratings between intervention groups. Similar improvements in self-rated depressive symptoms and well-being were also observed across time.
Conclusions
Both yoga and psychoeducation may improve residual symptoms of unipolar and bipolar depression as add-on to medications. In-class group sessions and long study durations may reduce feasibility for this population. Larger trials with parallel group design and shorter duration may be more feasible.
Hypertension is one of the most important risk factors for various heart related diseases in India, especially in South-Asian region. Nowadays because of very fast life style, breathing pattern and its duration is changed considerably. Breathing duration becomes very short. The main aim of the present study was to assess the therapeutic role of yoga on various cardiovascular parameters, peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) through pulmonary function test and peripheral capillary oxygen saturation (SpO2), amount of oxygen in the blood in Ahmedabad population. Total 50 individuals with hypertension, low-PEFR and low-SpO2 were selected for the present study. All participants were subjected to yoga therapy (pranayama, yoga postures and meditation) for various time intervals of 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Heart rate (HR), systolic pressure (SP), diastolic pressure (DP), pulse pressure (PP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), rate pressure product (RPP), double product (DoP), PEFR and SpO2 were measured from all individuals at different intervals. At 0 month, all individuals had very high heart rate (HR), systolic pressure (SP), diastolic pressure (DP), pulse pressure (PP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), rate pressure product (RPP), double product (DoP), but PEFR and SpO2 levels were very low. At the end of 12 month of yoga intervention, significant decrease in all cardiovascular parameters whereas significant elevation of PEFR and SpO2 levels were observed. In conclusion, a comprehensive yoga therapy programme has immense potential to augment the beneficial effects of standard medical management of hypertension, lungs function and total oxygen concentration. Hence it can be used as an effective complementary therapy for heart related diseases.
Background: Life satisfaction (LS) is the method during which people show their emotions, feelings (moods),
and the way they feel concerning their directions and choices for the longer term. It is a measure of well-being
assessed in terms of mood, satisfaction with relationships, achieved goals, self-concepts, and self-perceived ability
to address one’s lifestyle. LS involves a good angle toward one’s life instead of an assessment of the current
feelings. LS has been measured in relation to economic standing, degree of education, experiences, residence,
and many other topics.
Objective: The objective of the present study was to see the effect of group yoga and individual yoga training on
LS among adults.
Materials and Methods: In the present study, 100 college students and employees aged 18–45 years with
dissatisfaction were randomized into two groups, that is, group yoga practice (GYP, n = 50) and individual yoga
practice (n = 50). All the participants were assessed for LS using a standard questionnaire at the baseline and after
completion of 45 days of training intervention. Data analysis was done using statistical software SPSS Version
23.0. Data were analyzed using paired t-tests.
Results: The results showed that LS in GYP improved statistically significantly (t = 3.20, p < 0.01) after 45 days
of yoga intervention. Further, in the case of the individual yoga practice group, the results showed that there was no
statistically significant increase (t = 1.94, p > 0.05) in LS of the participants.
Conclusion: Group yoga intervention is effective in increasing LS among adults as compared to individual yoga
intervention.
Purpose: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an incurable neurodegenerative disease that results in deficits in physical and cognitive function, and often fosters low levels of self-efficacy for physical activity, motivation for physical activity, and quality of life [1 Motl RW, McAuley E, Snook EM. Physical activity and multiple sclerosis: a meta-analysis. Mult Scler. 2005;11(4):459–463.[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]]. Drug therapies, physical therapy rehabilitation, and lifestyle modifications such as increased physical activity are standard protocol for symptom management, yet persons with MS tend to be physically inactive [2 Klaren RE, Motl RW, Dlugonski D, et al. Objectively quantified physical activity in persons with multiple sclerosis. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2013;94(12):2342–2348.[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar],3 Motl RW, Snook EN. Physical activity, self-efficacy, and quality of life in multiple sclerosis. Ann Behav Med. 2008;35(1):111–115.[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]]. Additionally, single-modality interventions do not inherently address the challenges faced concurrently by individuals with MS [4 Lexell EM, Flansbjer U-B, Lexell J. Self-perceived performance and satisfaction with performance of daily activities in persons with multiple sclerosis following interdisciplinary rehabilitation. Disabil Rehabil. 2014;36(5):373–378.[Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar],5 Black R, Dorstyn D. A biopsychosocial model of resilience for multiple sclerosis. J Health Psychol. 2015;20(11):1434–1444.[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]].
Methods: This project examined the effects of a 5-week holistic biopsychosocial Medical Therapeutic Yoga program on physical activity behavior outcomes in individuals diagnosed with MS. A mixed-methods approach was used to examine self-efficacy for physical activity, motivation for physical activity, and quality of life outcomes in 15 participants.
Results: Quantitative measures demonstrated increased self-efficacy (t(14) = −2.23, p = 0.042), and emotional quality of life (t(14) = −2.66, p = 0.019). Responses to an open-ended written questionnaire and follow-up interviews indicated overall positive response to the program including increases in self-efficacy for physical activity, motivation for physical activity, and quality of life. These results may help future holistic programming for individuals with MS incorporate behavioral interventions with therapeutic rehabilitation to increase physical activity adherence.
• IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION
• Multiple sclerosis is a neurological disease impacting physical and cognitive functioning that may be managed with a combination of drug therapies, rehabilitation, and physical activity.
• Individuals diagnosed with multiple sclerosis tend to be physically inactive and physical inactivity is a challenge for optimal disease management.
• Medical Therapeutic Yoga offers an interdisciplinary biopsychosocial framework to simultaneously address the behavioral challenges and physical impairments facing individuals diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
• Health care providers should consider developing programs that use a biopsychosocial framework to aid in developing long-term adherence in health behaviors such as physical activity participation.
Objective and Design: In a pragmatic, randomised, waitlist-controlled trial we tracked 250 first-year university students who were randomly assigned to 3 months of a mindfulness meditation app (Headspace) to use at their discretion in either semester 1 (intervention, n = 124) or semester 2 (waitlist, n = 126). Main Outcome Measures: Students reported their distress, college adjustment, resilience, self-efficacy, and mindfulness, at 3 timepoints: the beginning of semester 1, the beginning of semester 2, and the end of the academic year. With participants’ permission, the university provided academic achievement data and Headspace provided app use data. Results: Evidence for improvements in distress at the beginning of semester 2 was weak (intervention vs. waitlist) and app use was low (M = 7.91, SD = 15.16 sessions). Nevertheless, intervention participants who used the app more frequently reported improvements in psychological distress (−5 points, R² change = .12) and college adjustment (+10 points, R² change = .09) when compared to non-users. App initiation and persistence beyond the first week was higher when the app was provided in semester 1 than semester 2 (66.1% vs. 44.4%; 46.0% vs. 32.5%). Conclusion: Headspace use was associated with small improvements in distress and college adjustment in first-year university students. Intervening at the beginning of the academic year may encourage uptake.