Efficacy of online conscious connected breathwork in reducing symptoms of anxiety: A randomized waitlist control trial.
Journal of Affective Disorders February 1, 2026 Richard Lawrence Blake
Six weekly 90-minute online group sessions of Conscious Connected Breathwork (CCB) reduced anxiety symptoms substantially more than a waitlist control condition. Among 107 adults (80% women, mean age 41, 79% white) randomly assigned to CCB or a waitlist, the breathwork group's anxiety scores dropped from an average of 43.87 to 33.31 on the SAS, a mean reduction of 10.56 points, whereas the control group declined from 43.00 to 41.11, a reduction of only 1.89. The difference between groups was statistically significant with a large effect size. CCB shows promise as a low-cost, accessible online intervention for anxiety.