EFFECT OF MINDFULNESS MEDITATION & PRANAYAMA ON PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC DEPRESSION
S. Bose, Amjad Ali
The Social Science Review A Multidisciplinary Journal October 20, 2025 DOI: 10.70096/tssr.250307067 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Structured intervention study (pre-post, no control group) Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 24 |
| Population | Adults aged 18–54 with chronic depression (12 men, 12 women) |
| Interventions | Bhastrika pranayama Anulom Vilom pranayama Mindfulness meditation |
| Dose | Bhastrika pranayama 10 cycles, Anulom Vilom pranayama 10 cycles, mindfulness meditation 10 minutes, twice daily (morning and evening) |
| Duration | 3 months (assessments at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks) |
| Measures | HAM-D, Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) |
| Topics | Breathwork Depression Meditation |
| Key points | Depression scores decreased markedly over three months of daily pranayama and mindfulness practice: HAM-D fell from 22.5 to 10.3 and BDI from 29.2 to 12.8. The authors propose meditation and pranayama as adjunctive therapy for chronic depression, while noting that more research is needed on long-term benefits and mechanisms. |
Abstract
Depression is a major cause of disability across the world, and influences not only emotional but also cognitive health. Although medication and psychotherapy are the main approaches in treating depression, the effect of alternative methods such as mindfulness meditation and pranayama (yogic breathing techniques) have shown to be beneficial to reduce depressive symptoms. Mindfulness meditation, Bhastrika, and Anulom Vilom pranayam in chronic depression–A study. We conducted a structured intervention with 24 patients (12 men, 12 women), aged 18–54 years, for three months. Participants were asked to perform Bhastrika pranayama (10 cycles), Anulom Vilom pranayama (10 cycles) and mindfulness meditation (10 min) in the morning and evening. At baseline, six-week, and twelve-week HAM-D and Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI) slope scores were used to assess depression severity. Results showed a significant decrease in depression scores, evidenced by HAM-D scores decreasing from 22.5 (severe depression) to 10.3 (mild depression) and BDI scores from 29.2 (moderate depression) to 12.8 (minimal depression). Users said they experienced improved mood or reduced anxiety and increased motivation. Including meditation and pranayama as part of daily routine may be used as adjunctive therapy for chronic depression, found this study. More research is needed to investigate the long-term benefits and the underlying neurological mechanisms.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on breathwork, most cited first.