The Effect of Patience Education and Hatha Yoga Exercises on College Student’s Depression during Corona Virus

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the effects of patience education grounded in religious doctrines and Hatha Yoga exercises on depression among college students during the COVID-19 outbreak, a period marked by increased mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety, and substance abuse due to home quarantine and physical distancing measures. A semi-experimental design was employed, featuring both pre-test and post-test assessments, with two experimental groups and one control group. The sample comprised 45 female students from Inion University who scored one standard deviation above the mean on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Participants were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to two experimental groups (n=15 each) and one control group (n=15). The first experimental group received patience education based on religious teachings, while the second group engaged in Hatha Yoga exercises. The control group did not receive any intervention. All training sessions were conducted virtually via video conferencing. Both before and after the intervention, participants completed the Beck Depression Short Inventory (BDI-S). Data analysis was performed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). The results indicated a significant reduction in mean depression scores among the participants in the patience education group compared to those in the Hatha Yoga group in the post-test (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that patience education based on religious doctrines is more effective in alleviating depression among female students than Hatha Yoga exercises. It is recommended that a combined program integrating patience training rooted in religious teachings with Hatha Yoga practices may serve as an effective approach to mitigate depression in this demographic.