title: Effect of yoga on different aspects of mental health.
abstract: State anxiety, somatization of stress, quality of life, self-rated quality of sleep, and discomfort due to over-breathing which occurs when stressed were studied. Out of a total of 140 participants, seventy participants self-selected to be in a yoga group for stress relief (group mean age +/- SD, 33.0 +/- 6.5 years; 37 males). Seventy age and gender matched participants were in a control group. State anxiety, somatization of stress, quality of life, discomfort and self-rated quality of sleep were assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Symptom Checklist-90-R, SF-12, Nijmegen Discomfort Evaluation Scale and a Sleep Rating Questionnaire respectively. Assessments were made at the beginning and end of the week. Repeated measures ANOVAs with Bonferroni adjusted post-hoc analyses showed a significant decrease in state anxiety (P < 0.001), somatization of stress (P < 0.01), improved health-related quality of life (P < 0.01), self-rated quality of sleep (P < 0.01), and decrease in discomfort due to over-breathing (P < 0.001). No changes (except decreased discomfort due to over-breathing; P < 0.01) occurred in the control group. This study suggests that a brief yoga program may be beneficial in decreasing anxiety, somatization of stress and discomfort, improving health-related quality of life and self-rated sleep quality.
authors.affiliation: Patanjali Research Foundation, Haridwar, India. shirleytelles@gmail.com
authors.forename: Shirley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Telles
authors.forename: Nilkamal
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Arti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yadav
authors.forename: Acharya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Balkrishna
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology*; D015013:Yoga / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult