Effect of Yoga on Mental Health of Prisoners: A Pilot Study

Abstract: Prisoners carry a much greater burden of illness than other members of the society; they harbor diseases that are determined both by the environment out of which they come and by the prison in which they live. Prisoners experience three times higher rates of mental health issues than the general population. The present study was conducted to assess the effect of a yoga intervention on prisoner’s depression, stress, and anxiety levels. 20 prisoners were selected randomly from Gwalior central jail, Gwalior, MP. The age limit of the subjects was ranged from 18-40 years and the selected subjects were divided into two groups with 10 people in each group i.e., Experimental group and Control group. The first group was Experimental Group (EG) underwent 30 min yoga class for 2 weeks with 5 days a week and Group second served as the control group (CG). The Anxiety, Stress, and Depression was measured with the help of independent t-test with sig. level (p < .05). The data was extracted using ADSS (Anxiety Depression Stress Scale) scale (questionnaire) given by Pallavi Bhatnagar. Results showed a statistically significant decrease in reported scores for depression, stress, and anxiety in the experimental group in compared to control group. There was a significant effect of yoga over stress, anxiety and depression with (p < .05). The study demonstrated the potential benefits of implementing yoga intervention to support and improve mental health of prisoners