Effect of specialised yoga on mental health of spinal cord injury candidates

Abstract

Spinal cord injury (SCI) poses multifaceted challenges, including chronic psychological distress, newlinediminished quality of life (QoL), and limited social reintegration. While conventional newlinerehabilitation often focuses on physical recovery, mental health and social dimensions remain newlineunder-addressed. Yoga, with its adaptability and holistic nature, offers an innovative intervention newlineto bridge these gaps, empowering SCI patients through resilience-building, mindfulness, and newlinesocial connection. newlineObjectives newlineThis study aimed to evaluate the impact of a tailored yoga protocol on psychological resilience, newlineemotional regulation, self-esteem, mindfulness, and QoL in SCI patients. It also explored yoga s newlinepotential for fostering social reintegration and reducing stigma, advancing a biopsychosocial newlineapproach to rehabilitation. newlineMethods newlineA six-week quasi-experimental study involved 60 SCI patients, randomized into intervention and newlinecontrol groups. The intervention group participated in a customized yoga program, integrating newlinepranayama, wheelchair-adapted asanas, and mindfulness meditation. Outcomes were assessed newlineusing validated tools, including WHOQOL-BREF, SOC-13, PHQ-9, and GAD7, while newlinequalitative data were analyzed to capture participant experiences. newlineResults newlineThe yoga intervention significantly improved QoL across physical, psychological, and social newlinedomains (p lt 0.01). Psychological resilience (mean SOC-13 score increase: 9.7), depression newline(mean PHQ-9 score decrease: 6.4), and anxiety (mean GAD-7 score reduction: 5.8) showed newlinemarked improvement. Participants reported enhanced emotional regulation, reduced stress, and newlinegreater body image satisfaction. Qualitative findings highlighted themes of increased self newlineacceptance, mindfulness, and strengthened social connections, demonstrating yoga s newlinecomprehensive benefits. newlinexiii newlineConclusions newlineThis study underscores yoga s transformative potential as a core component of SCI rehabilitation, newlineaddressing psychological and social dimensions often neglected in conventional ca