TIRUPATI: A pilot survey conducted among 250 intermediate students of various private and government junior colleges in Chittoor district has found that meditating for an hour a week for 16 consecutive weeks could help the pupils overcome anxiety, stress and sleeplessness.
The questionnaire-based survey by the Model Rural Health Research Unit (MRHRU) of the central government’s Department of Health Research will be held again with a larger sample size.MRHRU Scientist Venkata Prasad Upadrasta, an integral part of the study, said a team from Ramakrishna Mission’s Mindfulness Yoga trained the students to meditate. “Interestingly, in the controlled study group, students showed improvement in fighting anxiety, depression and other disorders after the training.”
Tirupati-based senior physician Dr Krishna Prashanthi said, “It is true that meditation helps in calming down the mind and building morale. Besides meditation, psychological support from peer and social groups also helps students to a great extent.”
To augment her view, she referred to a research by physician Dr DK Sahay and team in Hyderabad, which revealed that meditation relieved people of stress and anxiety. “It is pressure from parents and peers, not exam results, that breaks the emotional threshold of students, due to which many end their lives.”