The Effectiveness of Hatha Yoga Exercises on Generalized Anxiety, Existential Anxiety, and Emotion Regulation Strategies in Young Men in Kermanshah
Keywords:
Generalized Anxiety, Existential Anxiety, Emotion Regulation, Hatha YogaAbstract
Objective: The aim of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of Hatha Yoga exercises on generalized anxiety, existential anxiety, and emotion regulation strategies in athletic and non-athletic men aged 30 to 50 years in the city of Kermanshah.
Methodology: The present study was a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test, post-test, and two-month follow-up with a control group. The statistical population included all men aged 30 to 50 years who had enrolled in yoga classes in Kermanshah during the winter of 2024. The research sample included 45 individuals from the statistical population who were selected through convenience sampling and were randomly assigned to the experimental group and the control group. Participants completed the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire by Spitzer et al. (2006), the Existential Anxiety Questionnaire by Lawrence Good (1974), and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire by Gross and John (2003) in the pre-test, post-test, and follow-up stages. The experimental group participants received Hatha Yoga training in eight 90-minute sessions, held once a week. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 27.
Findings: The results of this study showed that Hatha Yoga exercises led to improvements in generalized anxiety, existential anxiety, and emotion regulation strategies in athletic and non-athletic men aged 30 to 50 years in Kermanshah during the post-test and follow-up periods (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: Considering the results, it can be concluded that Hatha Yoga exercises are an effective approach in improving generalized anxiety, existential anxiety, and emotion regulation strategies.
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References
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Sedigh, H., & Niyousha, B. (2017). The effect of Hatha yoga training on executive functions (attention, concentration, and working memory) in students with writing disorder. Journal of Disability Studies, 7. https://www.magiran.com/paper/1784132/
Seghatoleslam, T., Yazdian, F., & Habil, H. (2024). The Role of Spiritual-Religious Behaviors and Beliefs in Reducing Stress and Anxiety and Enhancing Spiritual-Psychological Health among a Group of Iranian Women during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Psychological Dynamics in Mood Disorders (PDMD), 3(2), 49-58. https://doi.org/10.22034/pdmd.2024.457112.1092
Shirali, S., & Dasht Bozorgi, Z. (2019). The effect of acceptance and commitment-based group therapy on existential anxiety, distress tolerance, and meta-worry in elderly women with cardiovascular diseases in Mehrshahr Hospital of Ahvaz in 2018. Community Health, 13(4), 1-11. https://chj.rums.ac.ir/article_103403.html
Tajeryan, Z., Afrooz, G. A., & Nouryghasemabadi, R. (2023). Emotion Regulation in Women with PTSD and Addiction. Psychology of Woman Journal, 4(2), 160-168. https://doi.org/10.61838/kman.pwj.4.2.19
Arablu, Z. (2023). The effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction on negative mood and emotion regulation in individuals with generalized anxiety disorder. Quarterly Journal of New Psychological Ideas, 16(20). http://jnip.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-132-316&slc_lang=fa&sid=1
Babakhanlou, A. (2023). Presenting Structural Model of Emotional Eating in People with Obesity based on Self-Regulation with the Mediating Role of Emotional Processing. Journal of Psychological Dynamics in Mood Disorders (PDMD), 2(2), 30-40. https://doi.org/10.22034/pdmd.2023.185859
Balaji, E., Murugavel, K., Rajkumar, M., Logeswaran, S., & Vijayasankar, V. (2024). Determining the impact of 12 weeks intervention of hatha yoga practices on range of motion of trunk lateral flexion and thoracolumbar spine trunk rotation in college men. Physical rehabilitation and recreational health technologies, 9(1), 12-19. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.15391/prrht.2024-9(1).02
Crisan, S. M., & Nechita, D. M. (2022). Maladaptive emotion regulation strategies and trait anger as predictors of depression severity. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 29(3), 1135-1143. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.2702
Dehghani, M., Daei, R., Bakhtiari, A., & Mohammadvalipour, D. (2019). The effectiveness of yoga exercises on general health and self-esteem of injured athletes with anxiety. Journal of Health Promotion Management, 8(4), 62-69. https://www.sid.ir/paper/363780/fa
Dehnamaki Moshgabadi, F., Tavabe Ghavami, S., & Alekasir, M. (2024). The Relationship between Spousal Abuse and Generalized Anxiety in Women Referring to the Social Emergency Department of Tehran. Journal of Psychological Dynamics in Mood Disorders (PDMD), 3(1), 41-50. https://doi.org/10.22034/pdmd.2024.451470.1076
Esmaeili, M. (2020). A comparative study of perceived stress and happiness in athletic and non-athletic men aged 20 to 50 in Sarab city. https://www.noormags.ir/view/fa/search/searchexport?q=%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AF%DB%8C%20%D8%A2%D8%B1%D8%AA&origin=related&index=
Eyvazi, S., Karami, J., & Hatamian, P. (2019). The effectiveness of yoga-based mindfulness on reducing anxiety and promoting resilience in middle-aged women in Kermanshah city. Iranian Journal of Nursing Research, 59(1), 31-37. https://ijnr.ir/browse.php?a_id=2117&sid=1&slc_lang=fa
Gall, T. L. (2018). Working through existential anxiety toward authenticity: A spiritual journey of meaning making. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 58(2), 168-193. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/0022167816629968
Gasiorowska, A., Zaleskiewicz, T., & Kesebir, P. (2018). Money as an existential anxiety buffer: Exposure to money prevents mortality reminders from leading to increased death thoughts. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 79, 394-409. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2018.09.004
Jalilvand, M., Samadi, H., & Heydari, Y. (2021). Comparing the effectiveness of yoga exercises and cognitive-behavioral therapy on anxiety and depression in patients with psoriasis. Journal of Disability Studies, 11(1). https://www.sid.ir/paper/1029154/fa
Jalilvand, M., Souri, R., & Soleimani Tabar, M. (2021). The effectiveness of yoga exercises on anxiety and depression in patients with psoriasis. Shefa Khatam Neuroscience Quarterly, 9(2), 60-67. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.52547/shefa.9.2.60
Khayati, Z., Shirazi, M., & Sanagoo Moharer, G. R. (2021). The effect of yoga training on anxiety disorders in patients with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Rehabilitation Research in Nursing, 7(3), 10-19. https://ijrn.ir/article-1-620-fa.html
Liu, J., Gao, S., & Zhang, L. (2022). Effects of physical exercises on emotion regulation: a meta-analysis. MedRxivSP - 2022-07. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.07.04.22277120
Nematollahi, S., Afshari Nia, K., Alsadat Hosseini, S., Kakabraei, K., & Parandin, S. (2023). The Effectiveness of Metacognitive Therapy and Compassion-Based Therapy on Reducing Rumination, Anxiety and Worry in Obsessive-Compulsive Patients. Journal of Psychological Dynamics in Mood Disorders (PDMD), 2(3), 50-61. https://doi.org/10.22034/pdmd.2023.188277
O'Shea, M., Capon, H., Evans, S., Agrawal, J., Melvin, G., O'Brien, J., & McIver, S. (2022). Integration of hatha yoga and evidence‐based psychological treatments for common mental disorders: An evidence map. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 78(9), 1671-1711. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.23338
Peshabadi, A., Farsi, A., Bahram, A., & Daneshfar, A. (2021). Anxiety, expertise, and gaze behaviors during penalty prediction in football goalkeepers. Studies in Sport Psychology, 10(36), 61-80. https://spsyj.ssrc.ac.ir/article_2015.html
Razavi, S. (2024). The Causal Model of Cognitive Emotion Regulation: Maladaptive Early Schemas and Parenting Styles. Jayps, 5(6), 68-77. https://doi.org/10.61838/kman.jayps.5.6.8
Salama, A. M., Abdel-Latif, S., Omar, T., & Abou El Wafa, H. (2022). Neurofeedback training and cognitive behavior therapy for treatment of generalized anxiety disorder in children and adolescents: A comparative study. NeuroRegulation, 9(1), 29. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.15540/nr.9.1.29
Sedigh, H., & Niyousha, B. (2017). The effect of Hatha yoga training on executive functions (attention, concentration, and working memory) in students with writing disorder. Journal of Disability Studies, 7. https://www.magiran.com/paper/1784132/
Seghatoleslam, T., Yazdian, F., & Habil, H. (2024). The Role of Spiritual-Religious Behaviors and Beliefs in Reducing Stress and Anxiety and Enhancing Spiritual-Psychological Health among a Group of Iranian Women during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Psychological Dynamics in Mood Disorders (PDMD), 3(2), 49-58. https://doi.org/10.22034/pdmd.2024.457112.1092
Shirali, S., & Dasht Bozorgi, Z. (2019). The effect of acceptance and commitment-based group therapy on existential anxiety, distress tolerance, and meta-worry in elderly women with cardiovascular diseases in Mehrshahr Hospital of Ahvaz in 2018. Community Health, 13(4), 1-11. https://chj.rums.ac.ir/article_103403.html
Tajeryan, Z., Afrooz, G. A., & Nouryghasemabadi, R. (2023). Emotion Regulation in Women with PTSD and Addiction. Psychology of Woman Journal, 4(2), 160-168. https://doi.org/10.61838/kman.pwj.4.2.19
