Assessing the Impact of Isha Kriya Meditation on Anxiety and Depression - a Pilot Study
Condition: Anxiety; Depression
MeSH terms: Depression; Depressive Disorder; Anxiety Disorders
Study type: Observational

Summary: 
      This study aims to assess the impact of Isha Kriya, a freely available guided meditation, on
      mental health - specifically anxiety and depression.
    

Detailed description: 
      In 2019, over 15% of the population experienced symptoms of anxiety. This was highest amongst
      18-29-year-olds. Amongst these adults, 9.5% experienced mild, 3.4% experienced moderate, and
      2.7% experienced severe symptoms of anxiety. About 1 in 6 adults is expected to suffer from
      depression at some point in their lives. Due to the pandemic, rates of anxiety and depression
      increased significantly. In December 2020, 42% of people surveyed by the US Census Bureau had
      symptoms associated with anxiety or depression. This is compared to 11% of adults having
      similar symptoms from Jan-June 2019. The rapidly diminishing mental health in the general
      population, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, has raised the concern for an emerging
      new pandemic: the mental health pandemic. Mental health leaders and organizations are urging
      the federal and state authorities to make mental health a top priority and allocate resources
      to areas including early identification and prevention, establishing integrated health and
      mental health care to ensure "whole-person" well-being, assuring evidence-based standards of
      prevention, treatment and care.

      Meditation has been shown to be effective in reducing symptoms associated with anxiety and
      depression. A recent study using a meditation called Isha Kriya showed improved perceived
      stress amongst operating room professionals in one sitting. Isha Kriya is a simple meditation
      practice (15minutes) that can be done by anyone over 12 years of age. It is offered free
      globally via in-person sessions, online webinars, and online videos. A meditation which is
      available electronically and freely could be an attractive option to include in prevention
      and treatment strategies for anxiety and depression. Furthermore, such intervention is easily
      scalable and accessible to everyone with access to the internet and if found effective, can
      be a valuable resource for addressing disparities in access to mental health resources in
      minority and underserved populations. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of this
      meditation on reducing symptoms associated with anxiety and depression over 6 weeks.
    

Observational model: Other
Time perspective: Prospective
Sampling method: Non-Probability Sample
Study population: 
        Participants will be recruited from a pool of healthy volunteers who sign up for a webinar
        where they learn the "Isha Kriya" practice. Isha Foundation has developed the Isha Kriya
        practice and conducts online Isha Kriya webinars (Meditation for Beginners). This webinar
        is routinely conducted by Isha Foundation.
      
Keywords: meditation; anxiety; depression; Isha Kriya