Effect of breathwork on stress and mental health: A meta-analysis of randomised-controlled trials.
Scientific Reports January 9, 2023 Guy William Fincham, Clara Strauss, Jesus Montero-Marin et al.
A meta-analysis of 12 randomized controlled trials with 785 adult participants found that breathwork interventions were associated with lower self-reported stress compared to control conditions, with a small-to-medium effect size. Breathwork also showed similar reductions in anxiety and depressive symptoms. The authors urge caution due to moderate risk of bias in most studies and call for more rigorous research to avoid overhyping the evidence.