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Iyer P, Iyer L, Carter N, Iyer R, Stirling A, Priya L, Sriraman U. Self-Care Program as a tool for Alleviating Anxiety and Loneliness and Promoting Satisfaction with Life in High School Community: Randomized Survey Study. JMIR Form Res 2024. [PMID: 39047180 DOI: 10.2196/56355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 global pandemic has led to a marked increase in anxiety levels, significantly affecting the well-being of individuals worldwide. In response to this growing concern, interventions aimed at enhancing social-emotional skills and promoting mental health are more crucial than ever. OBJECTIVE This global study examined the effectiveness of a Self-Care program on anxiety, loneliness, and satisfaction with life in high school students and staff in a randomized, wait-list control trial with baseline and post-intervention assessments. METHODS The 4-week virtual Self-Care program, offered by the Heartfulness Institute, is designed to develop social-emotional skills through stress management and self-observation. The virtual program was a positive intervention that offered support to the students and staff to build specific skills, such as reflection, observation, positivity, time management, and goal setting. In this study, the sample consisted of a total of 203 high school students and staff randomized into a control-waitlisted group (Students: n=57 and Staff: n=45) and a Heartfulness group (Students: n=57 and Staff: n=44) from three schools. Both the groups completed online surveys at weeks 0, 4 and 8, assessing their anxiety, loneliness, and satisfaction with life scores using Generalized Anxiety disorder scale (GAD-7 and Severity Measure for Generalized Anxiety Disorder-Child Age 11-17), Satisfaction with life scale (SWLS and SWLS-C), and the UCLA Loneliness Scale. Survey responses were each individually analyzed via a repeated measures ANOVA. RESULTS The study received institutional review board approval on February 3, 2022. Participant recruitment lasted from the approval date until March 30, 2022. The 4-week program for the Heartfulness group started on April 4, 2024. There was a significant three-way interaction between Time, Group, and School showing a decrease in anxiety and loneliness scores and increase in the satisfaction with life scores (p<.05). In students in the Heartfulness group, there was strong evidence to suggest a significant mean difference in GAD, SWLS and UCLA between Week 0 and Week 4 at all schools (p<.0001). In staff in the Heartfulness group, there was strong evidence to suggest a significant mean difference in GAD, SWLS and UCLA between Week 0 and Week 4 at all schools (p<.0001). CONCLUSIONS The pandemic brought severe educational and social changes that triggered a decline in mental health in schools. This study showed the effectiveness of noninvasive self-care tools used virtually to significantly decreased anxiety and loneliness scores and increased satisfaction of life scores in the participants. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05874232; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05874232.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lina Iyer
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, US
| | | | - Ranjani Iyer
- Heartfulness Institute, 2200 Goldenrod Ln, San Ramon, US
| | | | - Lakshmi Priya
- Lalaji Memorial Omega International School, Chennai, IN
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Iyer RB, Vadlapudi S, Iyer L, Kumar V, Iyer L, Sriram P, Tandon R, Morel Y, Kunamneni H, Narayanan S, Ganti A, Sriram S, Tandon R, Sreenivasan S, Vijayan S, Iyer P. Impact of the Heartfulness program on loneliness in high schoolers: Randomized survey study. Appl Psychol Health Well Being 2023; 15:66-79. [PMID: 35384302 PMCID: PMC10084022 DOI: 10.1111/aphw.12360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
High levels of loneliness are prominent in teenagers ranging from ages 14-19. The 4-week Self-Care program, offered by the Heartfulness Institute, is designed to develop social-emotional skills and self-observation. This study examined the impact of the Self-Care program on loneliness in high school students in the United States in a randomized, wait-list control trial with baseline and postintervention assessments. High school participants, aged 14-19, were randomized into a control-wait-listed group (n = 54) and a Heartfulness group (n = 54). Both the groups completed the intervention and the presurveys and postsurveys online, assessing their loneliness with the UCLA Loneliness Scale. The initial analysis noted the baseline equivalence of the data. A repeated measures ANOVA found a significant time * group interaction, with a significant decrease in loneliness reported in the Heartfulness Intervention group but no significant pre-post difference in the control group. In summary, the short online intervention program consisting of self-care tools decreased loneliness scores in the participants. This study opens up a new valley of possibilities, apart from existing research, and demonstrates that the online intervention used might be helpful to decrease loneliness levels in teens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Lina Iyer
- Novi High School, Novi, Michigan, USA
| | | | - Laya Iyer
- Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Priya Sriram
- Heartfulness Institute, San Ramon, California, USA
| | - Roma Tandon
- Medley Pharmacy, LLC, Somerville, New Jersey, USA
| | - Yumeris Morel
- International Community High School, Bronx, New York, USA
| | | | | | | | - Sidhya Sriram
- South Brunswick High School, South Brunswick Township, New Jersey, USA
| | - Reena Tandon
- WWP High School North, Plainsboro, New Jersey, USA
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Mavragani A, Tan JHY, Kosasih FR, Sündermann O. Efficacy of the Mental Health App Intellect to Reduce Stress: Randomized Controlled Trial With a 1-Month Follow-up. JMIR Form Res 2022; 6:e40723. [PMID: 36515984 PMCID: PMC9798264 DOI: 10.2196/40723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Excessive stress is a major global health concern, particularly in young adults. Short skills-focused self-guided interventions (SGIs) on smartphones are a scalable way to improve stress-coping skills at the population level. OBJECTIVE In this randomized controlled trial, we aimed to examine the possible efficacy of a recently developed stress-coping SGI (Intellect) in improving psychological distress, relative to an active control group and 2 potential moderators of this predicted relationship (ie, psychological mindedness [PM] and coping self-efficacy [CSE]). METHODS University students (N=321) were randomly assigned to either an 8-day SGI on stress-coping or an active control group. Self-reported measures were obtained at baseline, after the intervention, and at the 1-month follow-up. The primary outcome was psychological stress (Psychological Stress Measure-9). Secondary outcomes were anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7) and depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9). PM and CSE were assessed as potential moderators at baseline. RESULTS The final sample (n=264) included 188 (71.2%) female, 66 (25%) male, 7 (2.7%) nonbinary, and 3 (1.1%) others participants with a mean age of 22.5 (SD 5.41) years. The intervention group reported significantly lower perceived stress (partial eta-squared [ηp2]=0.018; P=.03) and anxiety (ηp2=0.019; P=.03) levels after intervention relative to the active control group. The effects on perceived stress levels remained statistically significant at the 1-month follow-up (ηp2=0.015; P=.05). Students with the lowest CSE and highest PM experienced the fastest decline in perceived stress levels (β=6.37, 95% Cl 2.98-9.75). Improvements in anxiety levels were not observed at 1-month follow-up. Similarly, no intervention effects were found for depression levels at postintervention and follow-up periods. CONCLUSIONS This study provides evidence that the Intellect stress-coping SGI is effective in reducing perceived stress and anxiety levels among university students. Mobile health apps are brief, scalable, and can make important contributions to public mental health. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04978896; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04978896.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jessalin Hui Yan Tan
- Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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Thimmapuram J, Patel K, Madhusudhan DK, Deshpande S, Bouderlique E, Nicolai V, Rao R. Health-Related Quality of Life Outcomes with Regular Yoga and Heartfulness Meditation Practice: Results from a Multi-national, Cross-sectional Study (Preprint). JMIR Form Res 2022; 6:e37876. [PMID: 35470800 PMCID: PMC9116454 DOI: 10.2196/37876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Although the benefits of yoga are well established across the world, there are limited studies exploring the long-term interrelation between yoga, meditation, and health. Specifically, there is limited research exploring the differences in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among regular meditators and nonmeditators. Objective This study explored the differences in 7 domains of HRQOL (including quality of life, ability to adopt a healthy lifestyle, ability to relax, frequency of nervousness and stress, coping with day-to-day stress, workplace productivity, and staying healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic) among practitioners of yoga and meditation. Methods A cross-sectional, online survey was distributed to all members who participated in a 100-day yoga and meditation program, culminating in the International Day of Yoga event, organized by the Heartfulness Institute in partnership with the Central Council for Research in Yoga and Naturopathy, Ministry of Ayush, SVYASA Yoga University, and Patanjali Yoga Institute, India. The program consisted of daily virtual yoga, meditation, and speaker sessions. The data were analyzed by nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis tests for continuous variables and chi-square test for categorical variables. Results A total of 3164 participants from 39 countries completed the survey. Mean age was 33.8 (SD 13.6) years. The majority of the participants were female (n=1643, 52%) and students (n=1312, 41.5%). Regular yoga and meditation practice was associated with a positive impact on all 7 domains of HRQOL (Mann-Whitney P<.05 and χ2P<.05). Notably, experienced Heartfulness (≥2 years) meditators reported better outcomes in all the domains of HRQOL as compared to those not currently practicing this form of meditation and participants with ≤1 year of Heartfulness meditation experience (P<.05). Conclusions This is one of the first cross-sectional studies to explore HRQOL outcomes among participants of a 100-day virtual yoga and meditation program. Overall, a yoga and meditation practice was found to be an effective tool for promoting HRQOL. Regular yoga and meditation practice was associated with factors promoting health and well-being, with long-term meditation practice associated with increased benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayaram Thimmapuram
- Internal Medicine Department, Wellspan York Hospital, York, PA, United States
| | | | - Divya K Madhusudhan
- Global Clinical Scholars Research Training, Department of Medical Education, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Snehal Deshpande
- Sneh Rehabilitation Education and Research Center, Mumbai, India
| | | | | | - Raghavendra Rao
- Central Council for Research in Yoga and Naturopathy, New Delhi, India
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Impact of Virtual Heartfulness Meditation Program on Stress, Quality of Sleep, and Psychological Wellbeing during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Method Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182111114. [PMID: 34769634 PMCID: PMC8583339 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182111114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Stress and lack of quality sleep affect a large portion of the population around the globe, and the COVID-19 pandemic has genuinely brought attention to these problems. This study aimed to investigate whether using a virtual heart-based meditation program is associated with improved stress levels and quality of sleep among participants from the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic. We recruited 63 participants to receive an 8-week virtually conducted Heartfulness meditation program in a prospective pre–post single-arm intervention study from September 28 to November 22 2020. Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores were collected at baseline, at 4 weeks, and 8 weeks. Of the 63 participants enrolled in the study, 36 (57%) completed an 8-week Heartfulness meditation program. There was a significant decrease in PSS (mean difference of 6.68 with 95% C.I. 4.89–8.47, p < 0.0001) and in PSQI (mean difference of 2.05 with 95% C.I. 1.03–3.07, p < 0.0001) between week zero and week eight, regardless of Health Care Professional status. The qualitative thematic analysis strongly supported the survey results. A significant reduction in perceived stress score and improvement in sleep quality index was noted at the end of a virtual Heartfulness meditation program. Moreover, Heartfulness meditation practice may help cultivate the quality of empathy, acceptance, and individual peace. We conclude that the effects of virtually accessible Heartfulness meditation practice need to be explored further in larger studies.
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Yadav GS, Cidral-Filho FJ, Iyer RB. Using Heartfulness Meditation and Brainwave Entrainment to Improve Teenage Mental Wellbeing. Front Psychol 2021; 12:742892. [PMID: 34721219 PMCID: PMC8554296 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.742892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Teenagers are highly susceptible to mental health issues and this problem has been exacerbated by the quarantine restrictions of COVID-19. This study evaluated the use of Heartfulness Meditation and Audio Brainwave Entrainment to help teenagers cope with mental health issues. It used 30-min Heartfulness meditation and 15-min brainwave entrainment sessions with binaural beats and isochronic tones three times a week for 4 weeks. Using a pretest-posttest methodology, participants were asked to complete a survey battery including the Pittsburgh Quality of Sleep Index, Perceived Stress Scale, Patient Health Question-9, Profile of Mood States, and Cambridge Brain Health assessment. Participants (n = 40) were divided into four experimental groups: the control group (n = 9), Audio Brainwave Entrainment group (n = 9), Heartfulness Meditation group (n = 10), and a combined group (n = 12), for a 4-week intervention. Data were analyzed with paired t-tests. The singular Audio Brainwave Entrainment group did not see statistically significant improvements, nor did any of the intervention groups for brain health (p > 0.05). This study, however, proved the efficacy of a 4-week Heartfulness Meditation program to regulate overall mood (p = 0.00132), stress levels (p = 0.0089), state depression (POMS; p = 0.0037), and anger (p = 0.002). Results also suggest adding Audio Brainwave Entrainment to Heartfulness Meditation may improve sleep quality (p = 0.0377) and stress levels (p = 0.00016).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Francisco José Cidral-Filho
- Experimental Neuroscience Laboratory (LaNEx), Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, University of Southern Santa Catarina, Palhoça, Brazil
| | - Ranjani B. Iyer
- Heartfulness Program for Schools, Heartfulness Institute, Novi, MI, United States
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