Comparing the Effectiveness of a Combined Intervention of Mindfulness-Based Yoga and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on the Mental Well-Being of Students at Faculty of Medical Sciences: A Quasi-Experimental Trial

Abstract

Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based yoga exercises, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), and the combination of both interventions on mental well-being of students at Torbat-e Jam Faculty of Medical Sciences.

Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design. The participants were 45 male students aged 18 to 24 years, selected based on G*Power software calculations and study inclusion criteria. They were randomly assigned to three groups of 15 participants each: mindfulness-based yoga exercise group, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) group, and combined group (yoga and tDCS). The interventions were conducted over 12 sessions (6 weeks, two sessions per week). Mental well-being was assessed using the Mental Well-Being Scale developed by Magyar-Moe and Keyes (2003). Data were analyzed using paired t-tests, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), and Bonferroni post-hoc tests in SPSS version 27.

Results: All three interventions had a positive and significant effect on improving students' mental well-being (p<0.05). The combined intervention showed better performance compared to the other two groups.

Conclusion: The findings indicated that although each intervention alone had significant within-group effects on mental well-being, between-group comparisons revealed that the combined intervention (yoga and tDCS) was more effective than either intervention alone.