Yoga’s Role in Indian Mental Healthcare: Bridging Tradition and Treatment
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Mentor Information
Dr. Holly Donahue Singh
Description
Yoga originated in India thousands of years ago and remains an important cultural practice rooted in Indian philosophy and medicine. A growing body of research, mostly from Western contexts, suggests yoga can benefit mental health by reducing symptoms of common conditions like depression, anxiety, and PTSD. However, little research has specifically examined yoga’s use in mental healthcare within modern India. This project aims to understand how yoga is perceived and utilized as a treatment for mental health in contemporary Indian society. Through analysis of clinical studies and qualitative research, this project will assess yoga’s impact on patients with diagnosed mental illnesses in India. It will also explore how everyday Indians use yoga to manage psychological distress and promote wellbeing. A key focus will be examining yoga’s place within the cultural contexts of Indian mental healthcare and attitudes towards health promotion. Many Indians first seek traditional wellness practices like Ayurveda and yoga before accessing Western biomedicine. Therefore, this project will analyze how belief systems shape yoga’s role in addressing mental health needs and stigma surrounding formal psychiatric treatment. By adopting an interdisciplinary perspective spanning clinical outcomes data, anthropological insights, and analysis of traditional Indian medicine, this research aims to clarify the benefits and cultural meanings of yoga for mental healthcare in the Indian context from which this ancient practice emerged.
Yoga’s Role in Indian Mental Healthcare: Bridging Tradition and Treatment
Yoga originated in India thousands of years ago and remains an important cultural practice rooted in Indian philosophy and medicine. A growing body of research, mostly from Western contexts, suggests yoga can benefit mental health by reducing symptoms of common conditions like depression, anxiety, and PTSD. However, little research has specifically examined yoga’s use in mental healthcare within modern India. This project aims to understand how yoga is perceived and utilized as a treatment for mental health in contemporary Indian society. Through analysis of clinical studies and qualitative research, this project will assess yoga’s impact on patients with diagnosed mental illnesses in India. It will also explore how everyday Indians use yoga to manage psychological distress and promote wellbeing. A key focus will be examining yoga’s place within the cultural contexts of Indian mental healthcare and attitudes towards health promotion. Many Indians first seek traditional wellness practices like Ayurveda and yoga before accessing Western biomedicine. Therefore, this project will analyze how belief systems shape yoga’s role in addressing mental health needs and stigma surrounding formal psychiatric treatment. By adopting an interdisciplinary perspective spanning clinical outcomes data, anthropological insights, and analysis of traditional Indian medicine, this research aims to clarify the benefits and cultural meanings of yoga for mental healthcare in the Indian context from which this ancient practice emerged.
