Effect of Yoga on Depression, Self-Concept and Mental Health of College Normal Health Students

Mental health refers to the overall well-being of an individual. It is about the balance of the social, physical, spiritual and emotional aspects of life. Our Mental Health is characterized by our personal growth, sense of purpose, self-acceptance, and positive relationship with other people. It is also highly affected by environmental factors like our family life, social life, and our life at work. Our general well-being is decreased by any negative experiences in any of these areas. Among the most common Mental Illnesses or Mental Disorders are Anxiety and Depression. Mental Health is a concept that refers to the psychological and emotional well-being of a person. Being mentally healthy generally means that you are able to use your emotional capabilities to function well in society and go through everyday life with little or no difficulty. Some factors that can affect your mental health are your family life, social life, and life at work. Having negative experiences in any of the said areas can deteriorate the condition of your mental health. Yoga is best known for its Poses or Asanas. These reach deep into the yogi‘s body, massaging important internal organs. Asanas help cleanse and maintain the nervous and circulatory systems, which automatically result in a healthier body and mind. Breathing Exercises or Pranayama can also help in keeping a person healthy by supplying a fixed amount of oxygen to the muscles and internal organs. However, Yoga should not be treated as the sole remedy for mental illnesses. You should first seek assistance from a professional if you experience any of the symptoms mentioned above. Yoga can only help facilitate the recovery from some dangerous side effects of these mental illnesses. It should always be accompanied by proper medication and psychological counseling. Derebail Gururaja et. al.: Effect of yoga on mental health: Comparative study between young and senior subjects in Japan. Conclusion Decrease in as well as long-term effect on anxiety reduction. Thus yoga helps to improve the mental health in both the groups. Balaji Bharadwaj (2012) Proof-of-concept studies in Yoga and mental health. Clinical trials of Yoga in psychiatric disorders are fraught with difficulties in standardizing the instruction of Yoga, ability to blind the allocation in a foolproof manner; defining the interventions for the control arm and the question of how much did the patient involve himself in it. A 'proof-of-concept' study based on neurophysiologic principles will be a useful foundation to larger clinical trials of Yoga in specific psychiatric disorders. It will help to match specific Yogic techniques to specific disorders. It may also warn against certain techniques that can precipitate a disorder. Such studies can also help allay doubts that the 'response' seen to a particular form of Yoga was merely due to 'expectancy effects' where the participants were expecting Yoga to be helpful and therefore there was an improvement in symptoms. Biological markers are likely to be resistant to such effects. Jadhav S. G. Impact of yoga practices on self-concept. Research studies have proved that the practice of Yoga brings profound change in an individual. Yoga is a way of life & teaches us how best to live for the well-being of the individual and development of a healthy society. Positive changes in the life style of the individual can be brought through practicing it. Yoga develops the physical, mental, intellectual, emotional and spiritual component which helps in building up a sound personality. Self-Concept is the sum total of a person's perception, feelings and beliefs about himself. It is the basis for all motivated behaviors. The present study is an attempt to assess the impact of Yoga on Self-Concept. The sample consisted of 50 Naturopathy and Yogic Science college students (Yoga practice group) and 50 Medical Colleges (MBBS) students both male and female. Personal information schedule and Mukta Rani Rastogi's Self-Concept Scale (1979) was used as measuring tools. Statistical 'T' test & ANOVA was employed for analyses of the data. Results revealed that Naturopathy and Yogic Sciences students have better Self-Concept compared to MBBS students. Dimension wise analysis also revealed that Yoga practitioners differ on all the ten sub-dimensions and overall Self-Concept compared to non-practitioners of Yoga.

The main objective of the study was to assess the effect of yoga training on depression, self- concept and mental health. and experimental group (Yoga Training) on the dimension of depression, self-concept and mental health. Materials and Methods: 40 normal health students were selected. 20 Experimental group of normal health students and 20 controlled group of normal health students. Age group was between 20 to 30 years. Both groups were given pretest in three dimensions, i.e., Depression, Self-concept and Mental Health. A yoga module consisting of yoga asanas, pranayama, meditation, 30 min of yoga training given daily for one month. For the both groups pre and post tests conducted.

a) Experimental b) Controlled

1. Depression 2. Self-Concept 3. Mental Health

Table No. 01. Shows pre-test experimental group of normal health students and post-test experimental group of normal health students the difference between the two mean is highly significant (‗t‘= 5.99, df =18, P < 0.01) dimension of depression. Both groups difference between the two mean is highly significant (‗t‘= 6.81, df =18, P < 0.01) dimension of self-concept. Both difference between the two mean is highly significant (‗t‘= 6.10, df =18, P < 0.01) dimension of mental health.

Table No. 02. Shows pre-test Controlled group of normal health students and post-test Controlled group of normal health students the No difference between the two mean is (‗t‘= 0.55, df =18, P < NS) dimension of depression. Both groups difference between the two mean is No difference between the two mean is (‗t‘= 0.80, df =18, P < NS) dimension of self-concept. Both difference between the two mean is No difference between the two mean is (‗t‘= 1.31, df =18, P < NS) dimension of mental health.

Effect of Yogic Exercise shown on depression, self-concept and mental health of normal health students. Yogic exercise can improve the depression, self-concept and mental health in experimental group. Bharadwaj B. (2012). Proof-of-concept studies in Yoga and mental health. Int J Yoga [serial online] 2012 [cited 2012 Jul 28]; 5: pp. 74. Derebail Gururaja et. al.: Effect of yoga on mental health: Comparative study between young and senior subjects in Japan. DOI: 10.4103/0973-6131.78173 PMID: 21654969. Feuerstein, Georg (1996). The Shambhala Guide to Yoga. 1st ed.. Boston & London: Shambhala Publications. Khalsa, Sat Bir S. et. al. (2008). Evaluation of a Residential Kundalini Yoga Lifestyle Pilot Program for Addiction in India. Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, Volume 7 Issue 1, pp. 67-79. Streeter, Chris C. et. al. (2010). ―Effects of Yoga Versus Walking on Mood, Anxiety, and Brain GABA Levels: A Randomized Controlled MRS Study." Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, Volume 16 Issue 11, pp. 1145-115.

Research Scholar, Swami Vivekanand University, Sagar (MP)