Online Guided Meditation Training (Isha Kriya) Improves Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression within Two Weeks of Practice - An Observational Study

ABSTRACT

Methods: Participants attended a webinar where they learned Isha Kriya meditation and were instructed to practice daily for six weeks. PROMIS Anxiety Short Form and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression 10-item (CESD-10) scales were administered at baseline, 2, 4 and 6 weeks following the training. Paired t-test was employed to calculate statistical significance. Results: Participants completed surveys at baseline (n=58), week 2 (n=58), week 4 (n=37), and week 6 (n=28). They were grouped into tertiles based on reported baseline values (High, Medium, and Low). When comparing baseline with week 2, mean anxiety scores decreased significantly by 12.9 units (p < 0.01;High), 10.33 units (p < 0.01;Medium), and 4 units (p < 0.01;Low). Similarly, mean depression scores decreased by 11.6 units (p < 0.01;High), 6.3 units (p < 0.01;Medium), 1.55 units (p = 0.05;Low). The scores for both anxiety and depression continued to stay low at weeks 4 and 6. Background: Anxiety and depression have increased dramatically with the COVID-19 pandemic. There is an urgent need for accessible, cost-effective, and scalable approaches to alleviate this parallel mental health pandemic. Meditation is shown to reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. Furthermore, online delivery of mind-body interventions in a timely fashion will be impactful to address disparities in access to healthcare. In this observational pilot study, we investigate the impact of an online guided meditation (Isha Kriya) on symptoms of anxiety and depression in the general population. Conclusion: Participant's anxiety and depression showed significant improvement with just 2 weeks of Isha Kriya practice. These changes were sustained over the next four weeks suggesting that routine Isha Kriya practice could alleviate symptoms for these conditions in a short time span.