[Effect of Ramadan fasting on self-esteem and mental health of students]

ABSTRACT

Some reports declare that Ramadan fasting has positive effects on mental health. This study was carried out to clarify Ramadan fasting effects on self-esteem and mental health of students. This descriptive-comparative study was accomplished on 60 apparently healthy medical students of School of Medicine of Azad University, Mashhad Branch [38 female and 22 male] who had decided to have fasting in Ramadan in 2007. The samples fulfilled the demographic and Cooper-Smith self-esteem and Symptom Checklist -90 -Revised [SCL-90-R] questionnaires at the beginning of Ramadan month and after at least 21 days of fasting. Data were analyzed by using Wilcoxon and paired t test in SPSS version 17. In comparison with the beginning of Ramadan, students' self-esteem increased after 21 days of fasting [P=0.001]. Also some dimensions of SCL-90-R significantly diminished depression [P=0.001], psychoticism [P=0.007], anxiety [P=0.001], obsession [P=0.001], interpersonal sensitivity [P=0.001], phobia [P=0.022], hostility [P=0.001], paranoid ideation [P=0.001] and global severity index [P=0.001]. Ramadan fasting improves self-esteem and mental health of students