Existing Meditation and Breathing Devices for Stress Reduction and Their Incorporated Stimuli: A Systematic Literature Review and Competition Analysis.
Elisabeth Honinx, Stefanie Broes, Bente Roekaerts, Isabelle Huys, Rosanne Janssens
Mayo Clinic proceedings. Digital health September 2023 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcpdig.2023.06.008 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | The review identified 20 scientific studies covering 18 meditation and breathing devices and 32 stimuli, and a competitor analysis found 66 devices with 126 stimuli; after removing duplicates, 46 device types and 24 stimulus types remained, grouped into 7 device categories and 14 stimulus categories. The authors state this overview will inform a subsequent preference and effectiveness study of breathing devices. |
Abstract
To identify, evaluate, and summarize existing meditation and breathing devices for stress reduction and their characteristics (stimuli), we searched PubMed and EMBASE for studies published from January 1, 1980, to December 30, 2021. Full-text articles that presented devices that support meditation and breathing guidance for stress reduction were included. We excluded articles covering study protocols. In addition, a competitor analysis was conducted to identify and evaluate the devices, their name, manufacturer, target group, function, and incorporated stimuli were contracted. The scientific literature identified 367 studies, of which 20 (describing 18 devices and 32 stimuli) were included. The competition analysis identified 66 devices incorporating 126 stimuli. After exclusion of duplicates, this resulted in 46 different types of devices incorporating 24 different types of stimuli. They were organized into 7 device categories (attachable to the head, huggable devices, handheld devices, eye masks, mouth-controlled devices, toys, and wearables) and 14 stimuli categories (perceptible vibrations, imperceptible vibrations, movement, temperature, pressure, texture, light or darkness, abstract visuals, concrete visuals, music, calming sounds, tones, voice guidance, and aromas). This review provides an overview of the different meditation and breathing devices for stress reduction. The current overview will inform a subsequent preference and effectiveness study of breathing devices that aims to gain more knowledge on the topic to increase device uptake and developmental success.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cites 2
- The influence of mindfulness meditation on inattention and physiological markers of stress on students with learning disabilities and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Research in Developmental Disabilities March 9, 2020
- Multimedia-assisted breathwalk-aware system. IEEE transactions on bio-medical engineering December 1, 2012