Page No 233-245
Sanil Kumar and Nongthombam Ibohal Singh
Manipur International University (MIU), India
Substance abuse significantly impairs mental health, emotional stability, and quality
of life. While yoga interventions show therapeutic benefits in addiction recovery, few
studies have systematically evaluated structured Vagal Yoga programs in rehabilitation
settings using validated psychometric tools. To assess the effectiveness of a structured
Vagal Yoga intervention in enhancing quality of life and reducing depression, anxiety,
and stress among individuals undergoing substance abuse rehabilitation. A quasiexperimental,
non-randomized controlled two-group pretest–posttest design was
employed. Sixty participants were purposively selected from a rehabilitation center
and assigned to an Experimental Group (n = 30), which received a 12-week Vagal Yoga
program alongside standard care, and a Control Group (n = 30), which received standard
care only. Allocation used sealed opaque envelopes; true randomization was not feasible
due to ethical constraints. The intervention involved structured breath-regulated yogic
practices aimed at stimulating and modulating vagal tone. WHOQOL-BREF and DASS-
21 were administered pre- and post-intervention. Data analysis included paired and
independent t-tests, effect sizes (Cohen’s d), 95% confidence intervals, and assumption
testing (Shapiro–Wilk and Levene’s tests). The Experimental Group showed significant
improvements in WHOQOL-BREF domains and reductions in DASS-21 scores
compared to the Control Group (p < .001), with effect sizes ranging from 0.62 to 1.24,
indicating moderate to large treatment effects. Confidence intervals confirmed the
reliability of outcomes. Vagal Yoga is an effective complementary therapy for enhancing
psychological well-being and quality of life during substance abuse rehabilitation. Future
studies incorporating physiological measures (e.g., HRV) are recommended to further
validate mechanisms of vagal modulation.