SHORT TERM EFFECT OF CYCLIC MEDITATION IN REDUCING STRESS, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION IN ORPHANAGE CHILDREN

Abstract

BACKGROUND An orphan is a child under 18 years of age who has lost one or both parents to any cause of death. Orphans are classified into three categories: paternal orphans (children who have lost their fathers), maternal orphans (children who have lost their mothers), and double orphans (children who have lost both parents). according to statistics by UNICEF, there were 140 million orphans globally by the year 2015.(Unicef Report - Understanding Orphans, n.d.) The loss of one or both parents, coupled with the absence of a caregiver, often places these children in institutional care environments. This significant change can cause immense stress and negatively affect their psychological well-being. Studies have observed that orphans and other vulnerable children living in institutional homes or orphanages are more prone to psychological, behavioural, and emotional problems compared to children raised in a family environment, as they are deprived of familial love, care, and support(Kaur et al., 2018) AIMS AND OBJECTIVES This study was aimed at observing whether the practice of cyclic meditation can bring significant change in stress, anxiety, and depression scores in orphan children who are under institutional care. evaluate the short-term effects of Cyclic Meditation (CM) on managing stress, anxiety, and depression among orphans. equip orphans with CM as a tool to manage stress and prevent psychological disorders in the future METHODS An orphanage located in Hyderabad, Telangana region was selected for the study, in which 34 children between the age group of 8 to 16 all-female children who were willing to participate in the study were recruited and intervention of cyclic meditation practice was given for 35 minutes every day for 5 days a week for 2 weeks and data was collected before and after the intervention period using DASS-21 questionnaire. vi RESULTS Statistical analysis revealed a significant reduction in stress, anxiety, and depression scores with p < 0.001, along with a significant increase in the duration of Bhramari time post intervention. CONCLUSION From the findings of the study we can infer that regular practice of cyclic meditation can have significant positive impact in reducing stress, depression and anxiety and increased Bhramari time, and can serve as an effective, low-cost, and non-invasive method to enhance psychological well-being in vulnerable populations like orphans, and the study highlights the potential of yoga based interventions to be integrated into child care programs. KEY WORDS Orphans, Cyclic meditation, Stress, anxiety, Depression