Effect of breathwork on stress and mental health: A meta-analysis of randomised-controlled trials.
Guy William Fincham, Clara Strauss, Jesus Montero-Marin, Kate Cavanagh
Scientific Reports January 9, 2023 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-27247-y (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA 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.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Meta-analysis Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 785 |
| Population | Adult participants from randomized controlled trials |
| Intervention | breathwork |
| Key finding | Breathwork interventions were associated with lower levels of self-reported stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms compared to non-breathwork controls. |
Abstract
Deliberate control of the breath (breathwork) has recently received an unprecedented surge in public interest and breathing techniques have therapeutic potential to improve mental health. Our meta-analysis primarily aimed to evaluate the efficacy of breathwork through examining whether, and to what extent, breathwork interventions were associated with lower levels of self-reported/subjective stress compared to non-breathwork controls. We searched PsycInfo, PubMed, ProQuest, Scopus, Web of Science, ClinicalTrials.gov and ISRCTN up to February 2022, initially identifying 1325 results. The primary outcome self-reported/subjective stress included 12 randomised-controlled trials (k = 12) with a total of 785 adult participants. Most studies were deemed as being at moderate risk of bias. The random-effects analysis yielded a significant small-to-medium mean effect size, g = - 0.35 [95% CI - 0.55, - 0.14], z = 3.32, p = 0.0009, showing breathwork was associated with lower levels of stress than control conditions. Heterogeneity was intermediate and approaching significance, χ211 = 19, p = 0.06, I2 = 42%. Meta-analyses for secondary outcomes of self-reported/subjective anxiety (k = 20) and depressive symptoms (k = 18) showed similar significant effect sizes: g = - 0.32, p < 0.0001, and g = - 0.40, p < 0.0001, respectively. Heterogeneity was moderate and significant for both. Overall, results showed that breathwork may be effective for improving stress and mental health. However, we urge caution and advocate for nuanced research approaches with low risk-of-bias study designs to avoid a miscalibration between hype and evidence.