Rajat Sengupta
Independent Researcher
Tripura, India
Abstract
Building on the initial findings, this expanded abstract delves deeper into how traditional Indian family rituals function as multifaceted anxiety-regulation mechanisms. Anxiety disorders rank among the most prevalent mental health challenges worldwide, and cultural context strongly shapes coping strategies. In India, rituals—daily, seasonal, and life-cycle—permeate familial life, offering structured, symbolic practices that may alleviate emotional distress. This study surveyed 200 adults across urban and rural regions, employing the Ritual Engagement Scale (RES) and the short-form State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-6) to quantify the relationship between ritual involvement and anxiety levels. Regression analyses, controlling for demographics, revealed that higher RES scores predicted significantly lower STAI-6 scores (β = –.39, p < .001), explaining 14% of variance beyond age, gender, and locale. Importantly, communal rituals (e.g., family pujas, harvest festivals) exhibited a stronger inverse correlation with anxiety (r = –.47) than solitary practices (r = –.28), underscoring the buffering role of social connectedness. Thematic analysis of open-ended responses uncovered four core emotion-regulation pathways: (1) social cohesion through intergenerational bonding, (2) predictable ritual structures offering psychological stability, (3) spiritual meaning facilitating cognitive reappraisal, and (4) symbolic enactments serving as emotional release. Participants frequently emphasized how collective ceremonies fostered a sense of belonging and mitigated loneliness, while routine rituals provided a reliable “anchor” during times of uncertainty. These qualitative insights illuminate the specific ritual features—symbolism, repetition, communal participation, narrative framing—that drive anxiety reduction. The paper concludes by recommending culturally informed therapeutic approaches, such as integrating ritual elements into mindfulness-based interventions or family therapy, and calls for longitudinal and neurobiological investigations to unpack the mechanisms underlying ritual efficacy.
Keywords
Rituals, Anxiety Regulation, Indian Families, Cultural Psychology, Coping Mechanisms
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