A Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Transcendental Meditation on Stress among Transgenders residing in Bengaluru

 

Alphy Chacko1, Pushpa D2, Jinila Jasphine2

1Mental Health Nursing Department, Holy Family College of Nursing, New Delhi.

2St. Philomena’s College of Nursing, Bengaluru.

*Corresponding Author E-mail: jeesalphy@gmail.com

 

ABSTRACT:

Background: Stress is a person’s response to stressor such as an environmental condition or stimulus. Stress typically describes a negative condition or a positive condition that can have an impact on a person’s mental and physical well-being. Transgenders are the people who face lot of stress in their life due to discrimination and they are not well accepted in the society due to stigma. A study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of Transcendental Meditation on stress among transgenders residing in Bengaluru. Methodology: The conceptual frame work of the study was based on Kolcaba’s comfort theory and it provided a comprehensive framework for achieving the objectives of the study. The research design selected for this study was Quasi-Experimental pre-test post-test Control Group Design. Non probability purposive sampling technique was adopted to select 60 transgenders (30 in experimental group and 30 in control group). The samples were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The technique used to collect data was self-administered Perceived Stress Scale. Results: The Study revealed that, there was a significant difference between the post-test scores of level of stress in experimental and control group since calculated ‘t’ value (t = 2.808) was significantly greater than the table value (t58 = 2.045) at 0.05 level of significance. The baseline variables like age, religion, living with whom, coping strategies employed in experimental and control group pre test were found to be significant at 0.05 level of significance as the obtained chi-square values for these variables were greater than the ‘p’ value. The baseline variables were found to be non-significant at 0.05 level of significance in the post test of both groups as the obtained chi-square values for these variables were less than the ‘p’ value. Conclusion: The findings of the study shows that Transcendental Meditation was effective in the reduction of stress among transgenders.

 

KEYWORDS: Transcendental Meditation, Transgender, level of stress and Perceived Stress Scale.

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

“Why compare yourself with others? No one in the entire world can do a better job of being you than you”.1
 
Gender identity refers to a personal identification with a particular gender and gender role in society. Gender refers to the socially constructed characteristics of women and men such as norms, roles and relationships of and between groups of women and men. It varies from society to society and can be changed.
 
Transgender people are individuals of any age or sex whose appearance, personal characteristics, or behaviors differ from stereotypes about how men and women are “supposed” to be.2

 

The Transcendental Meditation Technique (TM) is a special form of mantra meditation developed by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. A simple natural effortless technique introduced by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1957 to unfold the full creative potential of higher consciousness latent in every individual and which helps to eliminate the effects of stress & helps to relax during stress .People who identify as transgender often experience stigma and discrimination. Transcendental Meditation can help in order to cope up with the stress.3

 
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY:

To assess the level of stress among Transgenders measured by Perceived Stress Scale.

 

To assess the effectiveness of Transcendental Meditation on the level of stress among Transgenders.

 

To determine the association between the level of stress among Transgenders with their selected baseline variables.

 

RESEARCH DESIGN:

The research design selected for this study was Quasi-Experimental pre-test post-test Control Group Design.

 
SAMPLE AND SETTING OF THE STUDY:
Non probability purposive sampling technique was adopted to select 60 Transgenders
 (30 in experimental group and 30 in control group).

 

The study was conducted in two settings, one for the experimental group and another one for the control group. The setting for the experimental group was Non Governmental Organization (NGO) working under Samara association Kalasipalyam, Bengaluru. The setting for the control group was NGOS working  under  samara K.R market field, Bengaluru.

 

DESCRIPTION OF TOOL:

Section A:

Baseline Proforma:

This part deals with the baseline variables which are age, religion, education, occupation, living with, monthly income, financial support available, coping strategies employed, at what age they realized,attitude, harassment and any previous illness.

 

Section B:

The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) is a 10-item self report instrument designed to measure the degree to situations in one’s life are appraised as stressful (Cohen, Kamarck and Mermelstein, 1983).

RESULTS:

Table. 1 Frequency and percentage distribution of samples according to their pre-test level of stress in experimental and control group.                                          n=60

Stress Level

Cate-gory

Experimental group n1=30

Control group

n2=30

Frequency

Percent

Frequency

Percent

Mild

Stress

10-20

16

53.3%

19

63.3%

Moderate

Stress

21-30

14

46.7%

11

36.7%

Severe

Stress

31-40

-

-

-

-

Total

 

30

100

30

100

 

Table. 1 shows that majority 16 (53.3%) of the transgenders in the experimental group had mild stress, 14(46.7%) of them had moderate stress and none of them had severe stress. In the control group majority of the transgenders 19 (63.3%.) had mild stress, 11(36.7%) had moderate stress and none of them had severe stress. Both experimental and control groups are similar in their pretest level of stress. None of them had severe stress in pre test.

 
Table. 2 Frequency and percentage distribution of samples according to their post-test level of stress in experimental and control group.                                          n=60

Stress level

Cate-gory

Experimental group n1=30

Control group n2=30

Frequency

Percent

Frequency

Percent

Mild Stress

10-20

29

96.6%

15

50%

Moderate Stress

21-30

1

3.4%

15

50%

SevereStress

31-40

-

-

-

-

Total

 

30

100

30

100

 

Table. 2. shows the post test scores of transgenders in the experimental and  control group. The results showed that majority 29 (96.6%) of the transgenders in the experimental group had mild stress and 1(3.4%) of them had moderate stress after the TM. In the control group the post-test scores showed that 15(50%) had moderate stress, 15(50%) had mild stress and none of them had severe stress. Hence at post test level there is a reduction in stress in experimental group compared to control group, showing the effectiveness of TM on stress among transgenders.

 

Table.3 shows that the mean percentage of pre-test level of stress of transgenders in the experimental group was found to be 66.76% which is significantly higher than the post-test score of 58.6% .It is very clear from the result that the mean stress score has decreased from pre-test 19.97±3.69 to post-test score 17.60±2.63. In the control group the pre-test mean score of stress of transgenders was found to be 18.67±4.99 and the post-test score of 20.90±4.54. There is a negligible difference in the mean scores of stress in the control group.
Table 3. Significance of difference between pre-test and post-test level of stress in experimental and controlgroup.

 

Experimental group n1 =30

Control group       n2 =30

Unpaired ‘t’ value

Mean

Mean%

SD

Mean

Mean%

SD

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.182

Pre test

19.97

66.76

3.96

18.67

62.2

4.99

t58=2.002

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

p>0.05

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.446*

Post test

17.60

58.66

2.63

20.90

69.66

4.54

t58=2.002

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

p<0.05

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

S

Paired ‘t’ value2.808*

Paired ‘t’ value1.621

 

S

NS

t29=2.045

t29=2.045

p<0.05

p>0.05

 

Association between pre-test level of stress with selected baseline variables in experimental group.

The baseline variables like age, religion, living with whom and coping strategies employed were found to be significant at 0.05 level of significance as the obtained chi- square with Yates correction for these variables were greater than the table value. Hence the H2is accepted for these variables.

 

Association between post-test level of stress with selected baseline variables in experimental group:

In the post test level of stress in experimental group, all the baseline variables were found to be non-significant at 0.05 level of significance as the obtained chi-square with Yates correction for these variables were less than the table value. Hence the H2 is rejected.

 

IMPLICATIONS:

The findings of this study have brought out certain facts regarding the effectiveness of Transcendental Meditation for nursing in the areas of practice, education, administration, research and community.

 

Nursing practice:

Transcendental meditation can be easily integrated into bedside nursing as well as a wide range of possible clinical settings that includes home care, thus the role of the nurse shift from being bedside to that in an expanded  role.

 

Transcendental Meditation offers a wide opportunity to cope up with the stress for both care provider and the care recipient due to the increased stress in the health care delivery system.

 

Nursing education:

Transcendental Meditation can be taught to the students and it can be practiced by the nursing students.

 

The findings of this study can be utilized as in service education to nurses by doing journal presentation

 

 

Nursing administration:

Nurse administrator can take initiative to provide the subordinates opportunities to learn various methods of relaxation techniques including Transcendental Meditation.

 

The administrator can plan Transcendental Meditation technique programmes for patients and to their relatives to enhance the knowledge about the stress reduction

 

Nursing research:

There is a need for research in the areas of stress & relaxation techniques which can reduce stress and help in the well being or recovery of the patient.

 

More research studies can be carried out on TM which would provide more scientific knowledge to nursing profession.

 
RECOMMENDATIONS:
A similar study can be replicated on a large scale among transgenders over a longer period of time for wider generalization.
 
Effectiveness of other relaxation technique in reduction of stress can be studied.
 

CONCLUSION:

Transcendental Meditation is effective among transgenders in experimental group. The findings of the study shows that there is a significant difference in the post-test level of stress among transgenders in experimental group as compared to control group. Thus the study inferred that Transcendental Meditation is effective in reducing the level of stress.

 

REFERENCES:

1.      Think Exist: Self-esteem [cited 2015 Jan 01]. Available from: http://thinkexist.com/searchquotation.asp.searchselfesteem.

2.      WHO: Gender [cited 2016 Mar 23]. Available from: www.who.int/gender- equity-rights/understanding/gender.../en/.

3.      Humes, Yogi MM. Beyond the T.M. technique: Gurus in  America. SUNY Press; 2005.p.69.

 

 

 

 

 

Received on 16.10.2020         Modified on 12.11.2020

Accepted on 18.12.2020       ©A&V Publications All right reserved

Int.  J. of Advances in Nur. Management. 2021; 9(1):19-21.

DOI: 10.5958/2454-2652.2021.00006.8