Jahnavi Sarma
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According to some data, from 2009 to 2014, students seeking treatment from campus counseling centers rose by almost 30 per cent, though enrollment increased by just 6 per cent on average. @Shutterstock
Thanks to the pressures and competition in college campuses across the world, there has been a significant rise in student depression, anxiety, and demand for mental health services. According to some data, from 2009 to 2014, students seeking treatment from campus counseling centers rose by almost 30 per cent, though enrollment increased by just 6 per cent on average. Fifty-seven percent of counseling center directors indicated that their resources are insuf cient to meet students' needs.
Now, according to a new collaborative study at the Yale Child Study Center and the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence (YCEI), Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education, Stanford University, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany, Yale School of Management, Yale University and Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, when college students learn specific techniques for managing stress and anxiety, their well-being improves across a range of measures and leads to better mental health. The research team evaluated three classroom-based wellness training programmes that incorporate breathing and emotional intelligence strategies, finding that two led to improvements in aspects of well-being. The most effective program led to improvements in six areas, including depression and social connectedness.
For the purpose of the study, researchers tested three skill-building training programs on 135 undergraduate subjects for eight weeks (30 hours total), and measured results against those of a non-intervention control group. They found that a training program called SKY (Sudarshan Kriya Yoga) Campus Happiness, developed by the Art of Living Foundation, which relies on a breathing technique called SKY Breath Meditation, yoga postures, social connection, and service activities, was most beneficial. Following the SKY sessions, students reported improvements in six areas of well-being: depression, stress, mental health, mindfulness, positive affect, and social connectedness.
A second program called Foundations of Emotional Intelligence, developed by the YCEI, resulted in one improvement: greater mindfulness the ability for students to be present and enjoy the moment. However, a third program called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, which relies heavily on mindfulness techniques, resulted in no reported improvements. In all, 135 Yale undergraduate students participated in the study.
Sudarshan Kriya is a breathing technique taught as part of The Art of Living programs. It can help you get rid of stress and emotional toxins at a cellular level. It stimulates the production of the happy hormone oxytocin suppresses the stress hormone, cortisol. This leads to better sleep, more retentive power and heightened awareness. Morover, it boosts your immunity too. It also activates the vagus nerve in the body and this reduces depression and anxiety and makes you happy besides giving you a health boost.
(With inputs from Agencies)