Significant Impact of Traditional Yogic Practices with and Without OM Chanting on Psychometric Indices and Academic Performance among Adolescent Girls

Vollständiger Abstract

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Purpose. Adolescent girls experience heightened psychological stress affecting academic performance. This study examined the differential effects of traditional yogic practices with and without OM chanting on anxiety, self-confidence, study skills, assertiveness, mindfulness, and academic performance. Materials & Methods. A randomised controlled trial was conducted with 180 adolescent girls aged 14-17 years, who were randomly assigned to yoga with OM chanting (n=60), yoga without OM chanting (n=60), or a control group (n=60). The intervention consisted of 60-minute sessions, five days per week for 12 weeks. Primary outcomes included anxiety (Taylor's Manifest Anxiety Scale), self-confidence (Agnihotri Rekha Self-Confidence Questionnaire), study skills (M Kanchana Study Skills Inventory), assertiveness (Rathus Assertiveness Scale), mindfulness (Mindful Attention Awareness Scale), and academic performance (cumulative grade percentage). Analyses used ANOVA and post-hoc tests. Results. The yoga with OM chanting group demonstrated superior outcomes: anxiety decreased by 42.3% (from 28.4±6.2 to 16.4±4.8) versus 31.7% in yoga without OM chanting (from 28.6±6.4 to 19.5±5.2); self-confidence increased by 38.5% versus 26.8%; mindfulness improved by 44.2% versus 32.1%; and academic performance increased by 18.7% versus 12.4%. Effect sizes for the OM chanting group ranged from medium to large (Cohen's d=0.68-1.24). Conclusions. Traditional yogic practices significantly enhance psychological well-being and academic performance in adolescent girls, with OM chanting providing additional therapeutic benefits. These findings support integration of yoga-based interventions in school settings for adolescent mental health promotion.