Development, Content Validation, and Feasibility of Yoga Module for Smartphone Addiction.

Context: Mental health practitioners have postulated that smartphone addiction is a disorder characterized by maladaptive and problematic behavior, and treatment modalities are scarce. Yoga has been found to be a viable tool for addiction treatment and other psychiatric conditions, but no specific validated module is currently available for smartphone addiction. Objective: The study intended: (1) to develop a yoga-based intervention for smartphone addiction, based on the ancient literature of yoga and a modern literature review; (2) to validate the developed module with experts from different schools of yoga; and (3) to test the module's feasibility and efficacy for young adolescents, with the objective of creating biopsychosocial well-being. Design: The research team first conducted a search of traditional and contemporary literature, with the objective of developing the yoga program. That yoga program was then sent to yoga experts for content validation. A pilot study then tested the feasibility of using the developed module for individuals with internet and smartphone addiction. Setting: The study took place in Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana (S-VYASA) University, Bengaluru, India. Participants: For content validity, participants were 15 yoga experts who had >10 years of experience in treating mental health disorders. For feasibility in a pilot study, participants were 22 students from an engineering college in Bengaluru, South India. Outcome Measures: For content validity, the experts' opinions were rated using a content validation ratio (CVR) through Lawshe's formula. For the feasibility study, assessments were performed at baseline and post intervention. Data were collected to evaluate: (1) addiction level using the Smartphone Addiction Scale - Short Version (SAS-SV), (2) impulsiveness using the Barat Impulsive Scale (BIS); (3) sleep problems using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), (4) mindfulness using the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), (4) self-regulation using the Short Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SSRQ); and general health using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Results: In the final version of the module, 26 out of 35 items (74.28%) of the practices in the developed program were retained, together with the modifications suggested by the experts. The content validity index for the whole module, an average of all CVRs, was 0.74. The study found significant reductions in the most symptom scores after participants practiced the yoga module for six weeks. Conclusions: A yoga module for smartphone addiction was developed, validated, and checked for feasibility. The content validity of the module was found to be good. The module was found to potentially useful for reducing symptoms in individuals with smartphone addiction. Future studies should test the efficacy of the developed program through a randomized, controlled clinical trial.

Effect of Add-On Yoga on Cognitive Functions among Substance Abusers in a Residential Therapeutic Center: Randomized Comparative Study.

BACKGROUND: Chronic vulnerability characterizes substance abuse disorder with consequent relapse. The process of abstinence depends on cognitive recovery. Hence, behavioral intervention should account for cognitive dimension of substance abusers. Recent studies highlight yoga-based intervention as a promising add-on therapy for treating and preventing addictive behaviors. PURPOSE: The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a yoga-based intervention as an add-on in enhancing cognitive functions, compared with physical exercise to newly admitted substance abusers seeking an inpatient treatment program. METHODS: The study was a single-blind, randomized, comparative design that included 96 male participants, between 18 and 40 years in a residential rehabilitation treatment unit. Partakers in the yoga or physical exercise group received supervised daily training for 12 weeks, in addition to standard rehabilitation treatment. Raters blind to the study assessed the patients on digit span task, cancellation test, and Stroop tests at the baseline and following 12 weeks of intervention. RESULTS: A significant enhancement in digit forward (yoga - p < 0.0005, d = 0.81; exercise - p < 0.0005, d = 0.73), digit backward (yoga - p < 0.0005, d = 0.88; exercise - p < 0.0005, d = 0.58), and letter cancellation test scores (yoga - p < 0.0005, d = 1.31; exercise - p < 0.0005, d = 1.4) were observed in both the yoga and the exercise groups. Stroop word and color task scores were seen significantly higher following yoga (p < 0.005, d = 0.74; p < 0.005, d = 1.13) and exercise (p < 0.0005, d = 0.62; p < 0.0005, d = 0.61). Furthermore, Stroop color-word test showed significant enhancement after yoga (p < 0.0005, d = 1.10) and exercise (p < 0.0005, d = 0.42), with degree of variation higher in the yoga group. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the add-on yoga or exercise-based intervention show enhancement of cognitive functions. These findings provide the utility of yoga and exercise-based intervention in improving cognitive functions among substance abusers. Furthermore, rigorous trials are needed to explore the potential long-term effects of these procedures.

Correlates and Predictors of Resilience among Baccalaureate Nursing Students.

INTRODUCTION: A growing body of literature recognizes the importance of resilience in the nursing profession. Both mindfulness and resilience aid in handling stress, stress increases the risk of rumination and/or worry especially in females and they are more empathetic than other healthcare students. AIM: To identify correlates and predictors of the resilience among nursing students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a descriptive correlation study and we have recruited 194 participants (1-4th year B.Sc Nursing) from Government College of Nursing and NIMHANS College of Nursing in Bangalore, India. The following instruments were used to collect the data, Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI), Toronto Empathy Questionnaire (TEQ), Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire (PTQ) and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Data was analysed using Pearson's correlation test and multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: Resilience is significantly correlated with mindfulness, perseverative thinking and empathy in nursing students. Based on regression analysis this model accounted for almost 33% of variance in resilience. This result is of interest as mindfulness alone explained 23% of the variance and unproductive Repeated Negative Thinking (RNT) and RNT consuming mental capacity predicted 8% and 2% respectively. CONCLUSION: These results support the importance of resilience and mindfulness in nursing students. Hence, resilience and/or mindfulness enhancing interventions should be inculcated in nursing education.

Effect of repetitive yogic squats with specific hand position (Thoppukaranam) on selective attention and psychological states.

CONTEXT: Research on the effect of Thoppukaranam is limited despite it being practiced as a form of worship to the elephant-headed deity Lord Ganapati and punishment in schools. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of Thoppukaranam on selective attention and psychological states in a sample of young adults. SETTINGS AND DESIGNS: A randomized self-as-control within subjects design was employed. Thirty undergraduate students (4 females and 26 males) from a residential Yoga University in Southern India were recruited for this study (group mean age ± standard deviation, 20.17 ± 2.92). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The d2 test, State Anxiety Inventory-Short Form and State Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (SMAAS) were used to measure cognitive performance and psychological states. Assessments were made in three sessions: Baseline, control (squats), and experimental (Thoppukaranam) on 3 separate days. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Data were analyzed using one-way repeated measures analyses of variance between three sessions, that is, baseline, squat, and Thoppukaranam. RESULTS: There was a significant improvement in all measures of the d2 test of attention (TN, E, TN-E, E%, and concentration performance) and state mindfulness after Thoppukaranam. Further state anxiety reduced significantly after the experimental session. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate Thoppukaranam results in enhancement of cognitive functioning and psychological states.

Implicit measure for yoga research: Yoga implicit association test.

CONTEXT: The implicit association test (IAT), a new tool for yoga research is presented. Implicit measures could be used in those situations where (1) The construct is difficult to self-report, (2) there is a threat of social desirability. Clinically, we can assess cognitive dissonance by evaluating incongruence between implicit and explicit measures. Explicit preferences are self-reported. Implicit preferences are what we inherently believe, often without our conscious awareness. AIMS: The primary objective of this study is to provide a bird's eye view of the field, implicit cognition, with emphasis on the IAT and the secondary objective is to illustrate through an example of our study to develop an implicit tool to assess implicit preference toward yoga. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A total of 5 independent samples of total 69 students undergoing short and long-term yoga courses in a Yoga University were assessed for their implicit and explicit preferences towards yoga. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The yoga-IAT (Y-IAT), explicit self-rating scale was administered through computers using the Inquisit program by Millisecond Software. Experimental and scoring materials are provided. RESULTS: A moderate preference toward yoga was detected, with a lower implicit-explicit congruence, reflecting possible confound of social desirability in the self-report of preference toward yoga. CONCLUSIONS: Implicit measures may be used in the yoga field to assess constructs, which are difficult to self-report or may have social desirability threat. Y-IAT may be used to evaluate implicit preference toward yoga.

Effect of Bhramari Pranayama on response inhibition: Evidence from the stop signal task.

CONTEXT: Response inhibition is a key executive control processes. An inability to inhibit inappropriate actions has been linked to a large range of neurologic and neuropsychiatric disorders. AIMS: Examine the effect of Bhramari Pranayama (Bhpr) on response inhibition in healthy individuals. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Thirty-one male students age ranged from 19-31 years from a residential Yoga University, Bengaluru, India were recruited for this study. We used a randomized self as control within-subjects design. Participants were counterbalanced randomly into two different experimental conditions (Bhpr and deep breathing (DB)). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Response inhibition has been measured using a standard tool Stop Signal Task (SST). Each session lasted for 50 min with 10 min for the experimental conditions, preceded and followed by 20 min of assessment. The primary outcome measure was stop signal reaction time (SSRT), an estimate of the subject's capacity for inhibiting prepotent motor responses. Additional measures of interest were the probability of responding on stop signal trials, P (r | s) and mean RT to go stimuli. RESULTS: The mean probability of responding on stop signal trials (P (r | s)) during Bhpr and DB are close to 50%, indicating reliable SSRT. Paired sample t-tests showed a significant decrease (P = 0.024) in SSRT after Bhpr session, while the DB group did not show any significant change. Further, t-tests show that the go RT increased significantly after Bhpr (P = 0.007) and no other changes/differences were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Bhpr enhanced response inhibition and cognitive control in nonclinical participants.

Stress and its Expression According to Contemporary Science and Ancient Indian Wisdom: Perseverative Cognition and the Pañca kosas.

Stress is recognised as the most challenging issue of modern times. Contemporary science has understood this phenomenon from one aspect and Indian philosophy gives its traditional reasons based on classical texts. Modern science has recently proposed a concept of perseverative cognition (PC) as an important reason for chronic stress. This has shown how constant rumination on an unpalatable event, object or person leads to various lifestyle disorders. Similarly classical yoga texts like the Taittiriya Upanishad, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Yoga Vashistha describe stress in their unique ways. We have here attempted a detailed classification, description, manifestation, and development of a disease and its management through these models. This paper in a nutshell projects these two models of stress and shows how they could be used in future for harmonious management of lifestyle disorders.