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CC BY 4.0 · Journal of Health and Allied Sciences NU 2024; 14(02): 178-183
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1768588
Original Article

An Experimental Prospective Study on Effectiveness of Brief Heartfulness-Based Start ‘U’p Program on Anxiety and Perceived Stress in Allied Health Students

Sanjana T. Philip
1   Department of Medical Biotechnology, CRL, Mahatma Gandhi Mission School of Biomedical Sciences (MGMSBS), Mahatma Gandhi Mission Institute of Health Sciences (MGMIHS), Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
,
Jayaram Thimmapuram
2   Internal Medicine Department, Well Span York Hospital, York, Pennsylvania, United States
,
Himanshu Gupta
1   Department of Medical Biotechnology, CRL, Mahatma Gandhi Mission School of Biomedical Sciences (MGMSBS), Mahatma Gandhi Mission Institute of Health Sciences (MGMIHS), Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
,
Tahreem Hussain Fatima
1   Department of Medical Biotechnology, CRL, Mahatma Gandhi Mission School of Biomedical Sciences (MGMSBS), Mahatma Gandhi Mission Institute of Health Sciences (MGMIHS), Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
,
Subodh Rahate
1   Department of Medical Biotechnology, CRL, Mahatma Gandhi Mission School of Biomedical Sciences (MGMSBS), Mahatma Gandhi Mission Institute of Health Sciences (MGMIHS), Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
,
Neelam Yeram
3   Department of Medical Biochemistry, MGM Medical College, Mahatma Gandhi Mission School of Biomedical Sciences (MGMSBS), Mahatma Gandhi Mission Institute of Health Sciences (MGMIHS), Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
,
Kapil Thakur
4   SRCM Heartfulness Meditation Centre, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
,
Mansee Thakur
1   Department of Medical Biotechnology, CRL, Mahatma Gandhi Mission School of Biomedical Sciences (MGMSBS), Mahatma Gandhi Mission Institute of Health Sciences (MGMIHS), Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
› Author Affiliations Funding None.
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Abstract

Aim and Objectives Health care education is an important issue in the development of countries. Stress and anxiety among health care students and workers are an area of increasing concern worldwide. Meditative practices have been shown to improve overall wellness. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy and feasibility of a brief Heartfulness-Based Start ‘U’p program to reduce anxiety and perceived stress in allied health students of Mahatma Gandhi Mission School of Biomedical Sciences (MGMSBS), Mahatma Gandhi Mission Institute of Health Sciences (MGMIHS), Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The objective of this study was first to study the prevalence of anxiety and perceived stress in allied health students of MGMSBS, MGMIHS, Navi Mumbai, and then to study the effect of heartfulness meditation on measures of said emotional wellness.

Methods Seven sessions of Start ‘U’p Heartfulness Meditation of 2-hour duration once in every week was held over the course of 7 weeks. Two hundred and three participants enrolled for the heartfulness intervention. Changes in stress levels, anxiety levels, and mindfulness skills were assessed. Three self-reporting questionnaire tools—Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ)—were used to determine the categorical scales (low, medium, and high) for anxiety and stress among students from baseline to post-intervention.

Results Our study revealed an improvement in anxiety and perceived stress post-intervention of brief Heartfulness-Based Start ‘U’p Program. Out of 203 students in this study, 75.86% were female and 24.14% were male. Students' BAI scores dropped an average of 2.91 points, whereas PSS scores dropped an average of 1.61 points. The largest increase in mindfulness was seen for nonjudging, with an average increase of 2.1 points (p ≤ 0.05) in categorical data from pre- to post-intervention based on the FFMQ tool.

Conclusion Our results indicate that heartfulness meditation practice offers an accessible and efficient method by which students' anxiety and stress can be improved. This may also improve their engagement in learning-oriented approaches and class activities.

Keywords

Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) - Education - Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) - heartfulness meditation - Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) - Start ‘U’p


Publication History

Article published online:
01 May 2023

© 2023. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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