"The Role of Yoga in Promoting Mental Resilience Among Special Educators in Puducherry"

Abstract

Background:
Children with special needs often need extra support to navigate their daily routines and educational experiences. Special educators as caregivers play a crucial role in supporting these children at school, helping them with everyday tasks and tailoring instructional methods to meet their unique needs. The additional responsibilities and the expectation to deliver high-quality education contribute to increased stress and anxiety among these educators. Compared to general educators, special educators face a particularly challenging and demanding work environment, which can negatively impact their mental health and, in turn, their physical well-being.
Methods:
This study employed a randomized controlled trial design. A total of 68 special educators affiliated with a special education school in Pondicherry participated, with an average age of 33.71 years (±7.46). Participants were randomly allocated to either the experimental group or the control group. The experimental group was engaged in a one-hour yoga session twice weekly for 24 weeks. Data collection included four psychological scales administered both at baseline and post-intervention and a general demographic form administered at baseline. Data were analysed using median, interquartile range (IQR), the Mann-Whitney test, and the Wilcoxon test.
Results:
Our findings indicated that most special educators experienced high levels of caregiver burden, sleep disturbances, depression, anxiety, stress, and a diminished quality of life, aligning with previous research. Post-test results showed a marked improvement in well-being among the experimental group, with substantial reductions in caregiver burden, sleep issues, and mental health concerns, as well as enhanced life quality, compared to the control group.
Conclusion:
It was concluded that yoga could help to reduce the caregiver burden and stress, enhancing the quality of life among special educators.