Identifying alternative mental health interventions: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials of chanting and breathwork
S. Malviya, P. Meredith, Barbra Zupan, L. Kerley
The Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health January 22, 2022 DOI: 10.1080/19349637.2021.2010631 (opens in new tab) via Semantic Scholar
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA systematic review of randomized controlled trials found moderate to strong support that two religious or spiritual practices—breathwork and chanting—can alleviate symptoms of anxiety, depression, stress, and PTSD. The review included 15 studies of varying quality, assessed using the PEDro scale and Cochrane risk of bias tool, and was registered with PROSPERO.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Systematic review Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Interventions | Breathwork Chanting |
| Keywords | Psychology |
| Key finding | Breathwork and chanting provide moderate to strong support for alleviating anxiety, depression, stress, and PTSD symptoms. |
Abstract
ABSTRACT This systematic review of randomized controlled trials investigated the effects of two religious/spiritual (R/S) practices (breathwork and chanting) on mental health outcomes (depression, anxiety, stress, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms). After registering with PROSPERO (CRD42020136645), a systematic search of four major databases (CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and ProQuest) was undertaken using predetermined eligibility criteria. Quality of included studies was assessed using the PEDro scale and Cochrane risk of bias tool. Although varying in quality, 15 included studies provide moderate to strong support for the effectiveness of chanting and breathwork to alleviate anxiety, depression, stress, and symptoms of PTSD.