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Yoga Dissertations by MSc Students

Part I: The Concept of Mental Illness in Ayurveda
Part II: Quantifying the Unmada Symptoms
By
Devika H S

ABSTRACT

PART I LITERARY RESEARCH

Part I: The Concept of Mental Illness in Ayurveda

The main objective of this was to know the concept of mental illness in Āyurveda. The study was done by compiling all the general and specific signs and symptoms of unmāda (Psychosis) described in different Āyurvedic classical texts viz,

• Caraka samhitā
• Suśruta samhitā
• As)ţāìga hr)daya
• Mādhava nidāna
• Bhāvaprakāśa
• As)ţāìga saìgraha

This study was done to check whether all the classical texts describe the similar symptoms or referred differently. Suśruta emphasises more on physical symptoms. Vāgbhata’s 1& 2 describes physical and mental symptoms. Caraka describes unmāda in detail emphasizing more on physical, behavioural and psychological symptoms.  Mādhava and Bhāvaprakāśa describes same as Caraka

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
Psychosomatic concepts of disease are not considered as the exclusive or somatic.  Psychic factors are always described as the causes of somatic diseases.  But psychosis symptoms have been well described in Āyurveda. The mind being the center for all the mental functions to perform has to be maintained without any hindrances.  The concept of mind and its functions has to be understood.

The symptoms were taken from all the classical texts and compiled, different authors describe the same meaning with different words. Caraka has given a brief / detail description about the psychosis in nidāna sthāna.  In cikitsā sthāna Dr)dabala has re-dacted the Caraka samhita and is slightly different and doesn’t describe in detail.

In Suśruta samhita describes more physical symptoms comparitively from that of behavioural and psychological symptoms. Vāgbhata I and II have described the same symptoms with different words. Mādhava nidāna, Bhāva prakāśa all of them explains the symptoms as that of Caraka.

The modern system deals with mania, depression, bi-polar, obsessive and paranoid schizophrenia and schizophrenia seperately, but in Āyurveda all these can be studied under this one chapter called unmāda.  Further studies can be done experimentally to check these symptoms exclusively whether present in neurosis patients.

Part II: EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH

Quantifying the Unmada Symptoms

Objective
This is a report on the development and initial standardization of a scale to measure the unmāda (psychosis) symptoms in patients with non-affective psychosis.
Design 
Āyurveda unmāda scale (AUS) consisting of 68 items was developed based on the translation of the śloka’s (verses in Samskr)ta) describing unmāda and with the opinion from the experts viz., fifteen Āyurveda scholars and five each of Psychologists and Psychiatrists.
Setting/location
 A private psychiatric nursing home, in Bangalore city.
Subjects
The scale was administered to 44 patients with non-affective psychotic disorders.
Result
 Āyurveda unmāda scale is associated with excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s µ= 0.8862, split-half reliability r = 0.7876) and inter-rater reliability (Kappa values ranged from 0.828 to 1.000).

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
The symptoms of unmāda can be measured reliably by this scale in patients with non-affective psychosis. 
      1. There are many scales available to identify psychotic disorders according to concepts of modern medicine.

      2. Management under the heading of unmāda is prevalent but there still have been lacunae in identifying the clinical conditions.

      3. An effort in this direction seems to be very few and there has been no published data in the existing indexed literature.

       4. The objective of this study was to develop a scale in order to measure the symptoms of unmāda in patients with non-affective psychosis.

       5. The AUS was developed based on the meaning of the Saàskr)ta verses described in the texts of Āyurveda.

      6. AUS was administerd to 30 patients with established non-affective psychosis.

        7. Data was analysed using Cronbach’s alpha co-efficient and split-half for reliability, Kappa co-efficient for inter-rater reliability, Pearson’s co-relation co-efficient was used to check the association between the dimensions with that of the total score.

        8. AUS was associated with good internal consistency and inter-rater reliability.Most of the dimensions co-related strongly with the total scores.

        9. Hence the study shows that AUS is a reliable instrument to measure the symptoms of unmāda in patients with non–affective psychosis.

Keywords:Mental Illness,Ayurveda,Unmada Symptoms.