EFFECT OF YOGA ON ATTENTION LEVEL OF ORPHAN GIRLS WITH ADHD

Mental health issues among children living in orphanages have been rising. These children often suffer from psychiatric disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). ADHD is characterized by inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. These symptoms are high among orphan children. Yoga is considered as a very effective method among complementary and alternative medicines which has a positive therapeutic impact on the neuropsychological problems. Objective: This study is to assess the attention level of the orphan female children with ADHD,undergoing training of ADHD yoga module developed by NIMHANS, 1 hour daily for 8weeks by a qualified yoga instructor. Materials and Methods: A total of 38 female children aged between 6 to 10 years participated in this study with a single group pre-post test design. The raw data was collected by using NICHQ Vanderbilt assessment scale before and after the intervention. Statistical Package of Social Science version 20 was used for data analyses. The Shapiro Wilk test showed that the data was not normally distributed. The Wilcoxon?s signed rank test was used to compare the means of the data. Results: The data analyses showed significance improvement in the attention level at both Parent Assessment Scale (7.14?4.14 vs. 3.66?2.91) and Teacher Assessment Scale (7.46?4.21 vs. 3.73?2.61). Conclusion: This pre-post single group study suggests that 8weeks yoga practice gradually increases the attention level of the orphan female children. Additional well-designed study with larger samples and complex design are recommended for generalisation.