Effects of a yoga-based intervention program on psychological immunity and life satisfaction among armed forces personnel of India: A randomised controlled trial
Abstract: Background: Personnel in the armed forces experience high levels of stress, danger, and trauma that can adversely impact their mental and emotional health. The armed forces organisations must prioritise preventive and proactive measures to improve the mental and emotional health of their personnel. Improving the psychological immunity of the armed forces personnel will help them handle the stress they experience daily and enhance their life satisfaction. The main objectives of this study were to assess the effects of a yoga-based intervention program on psychological immunity and life satisfaction among active armed forces personnel in India and to study the relationship between psychological immunity and life satisfaction. Methods: A pre-test-post-test control group design was adopted for the study. We have screened 50 samples for this study, and 42 (Mage 33.62±4.12) were selected. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups: control and intervention. Psycho-Immunity Scale (PIS) and Life Satisfaction Scale (LSS) were used to assess the participants' psychological immunity and life satisfaction, respectively. A yoga intervention was provided to the yoga group, comprising pragyayogasana (Pragyayogasana is a series of 16 asanas which must be performed in the mentioned sequence for physical, mental, and spiritual well-being), pranayama (mindful and controlled breathing), and meditation, administered six days a week for one month. Results: A significant enhancement in psychological immunity (p<0.01) and life satisfaction (p<0.01) was observed in the yoga group. Also, a substantial improvement in all the components of psychological immunity, viz., self-confidence (p<0.01), total adjustment (p<0.01), emotional maturity (p<0.01), and psychological well-being (p<0.01), was found in the yoga group. In contrast, no such difference was obtained in the control group. Also, a significant positive correlation was found between total adjustment and life satisfaction (r=.32). Conclusion: These results revealed that the yoga-based intervention program significantly enhanced the armed forces personnel's psychological immunity and life satisfaction. Results also suggest promising implications for policymakers aimed at improving armed forces personnel’s overall health and optimal functioning. Trial registration: This study was registered at the Institute Ethics Committee-National Institute of Technology Rourkela, India (IEC-NIT Rourkela). Reference No. NITR/IEC/2023/M/17.