Breathwork Interventions for Adults with Clinically Diagnosed Anxiety Disorders: A Scoping Review
Anxiety disorders are the most common group of mental disorders, but they are often underrecognized and undertreated in primary care. Dysfunctional breathing is a hallmark of anxiety disorders; however, mainstays of treatments do not tackle breathing in patients suffering anxiety. This scoping revie...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-02-01
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Series: | Brain Sciences |
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Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/2/256 |
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author | Blerida Banushi Madeline Brendle Anya Ragnhildstveit Tara Murphy Claire Moore Johannes Egberts Reid Robison |
author_facet | Blerida Banushi Madeline Brendle Anya Ragnhildstveit Tara Murphy Claire Moore Johannes Egberts Reid Robison |
author_sort | Blerida Banushi |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Anxiety disorders are the most common group of mental disorders, but they are often underrecognized and undertreated in primary care. Dysfunctional breathing is a hallmark of anxiety disorders; however, mainstays of treatments do not tackle breathing in patients suffering anxiety. This scoping review aims to identify the nature and extent of the available research literature on the efficacy of breathwork interventions for adults with clinically diagnosed anxiety disorders using the DSM-5 classification system. Using the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews, a search of PubMed, Embase, and Scopus was conducted using terms related to anxiety disorders and breathwork interventions. Only clinical studies using breathwork (without the combination of other interventions) and performed on adult patients diagnosed with an anxiety disorder using the DSM-5 classification system were included. From 1081 articles identified across three databases, sixteen were included for the review. A range of breathwork interventions yielded significant improvements in anxiety symptoms in patients clinically diagnosed with anxiety disorders. The results around the role of hyperventilation in treatment of anxiety were contradictory in few of the examined studies. This evidence-based review supports the clinical utility of breathwork interventions and discusses effective treatment options and protocols that are feasible and accessible to patients suffering anxiety. Current gaps in knowledge for future research directions have also been identified. |
first_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:05:26Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-e419c9e0377840388ee376d075bec4d9 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2076-3425 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:05:26Z |
publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
publisher | MDPI AG |
record_format | Article |
series | Brain Sciences |
spelling | doaj.art-e419c9e0377840388ee376d075bec4d92023-11-16T19:28:26ZengMDPI AGBrain Sciences2076-34252023-02-0113225610.3390/brainsci13020256Breathwork Interventions for Adults with Clinically Diagnosed Anxiety Disorders: A Scoping ReviewBlerida Banushi0Madeline Brendle1Anya Ragnhildstveit2Tara Murphy3Claire Moore4Johannes Egberts5Reid Robison6Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Diamantina Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4102, AustraliaDepartment of Pharmacotherapy, University of Utah College of Pharmacy, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USAIntegrated Research Literacy Group, Draper, UT 84020, USADepartment of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin Hospitals & Clinics, Madison, WI 53792, USANuminus Wellness, Draper, UT 84020, USABreathless Expeditions, Manly, NSW 2095, AustraliaNuminus Wellness, Draper, UT 84020, USAAnxiety disorders are the most common group of mental disorders, but they are often underrecognized and undertreated in primary care. Dysfunctional breathing is a hallmark of anxiety disorders; however, mainstays of treatments do not tackle breathing in patients suffering anxiety. This scoping review aims to identify the nature and extent of the available research literature on the efficacy of breathwork interventions for adults with clinically diagnosed anxiety disorders using the DSM-5 classification system. Using the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews, a search of PubMed, Embase, and Scopus was conducted using terms related to anxiety disorders and breathwork interventions. Only clinical studies using breathwork (without the combination of other interventions) and performed on adult patients diagnosed with an anxiety disorder using the DSM-5 classification system were included. From 1081 articles identified across three databases, sixteen were included for the review. A range of breathwork interventions yielded significant improvements in anxiety symptoms in patients clinically diagnosed with anxiety disorders. The results around the role of hyperventilation in treatment of anxiety were contradictory in few of the examined studies. This evidence-based review supports the clinical utility of breathwork interventions and discusses effective treatment options and protocols that are feasible and accessible to patients suffering anxiety. Current gaps in knowledge for future research directions have also been identified.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/2/256breathworkpranayamadiaphragmatic breathinghyperventilationheart rate variability biofeedbackanxiety disorders |
spellingShingle | Blerida Banushi Madeline Brendle Anya Ragnhildstveit Tara Murphy Claire Moore Johannes Egberts Reid Robison Breathwork Interventions for Adults with Clinically Diagnosed Anxiety Disorders: A Scoping Review Brain Sciences breathwork pranayama diaphragmatic breathing hyperventilation heart rate variability biofeedback anxiety disorders |
title | Breathwork Interventions for Adults with Clinically Diagnosed Anxiety Disorders: A Scoping Review |
title_full | Breathwork Interventions for Adults with Clinically Diagnosed Anxiety Disorders: A Scoping Review |
title_fullStr | Breathwork Interventions for Adults with Clinically Diagnosed Anxiety Disorders: A Scoping Review |
title_full_unstemmed | Breathwork Interventions for Adults with Clinically Diagnosed Anxiety Disorders: A Scoping Review |
title_short | Breathwork Interventions for Adults with Clinically Diagnosed Anxiety Disorders: A Scoping Review |
title_sort | breathwork interventions for adults with clinically diagnosed anxiety disorders a scoping review |
topic | breathwork pranayama diaphragmatic breathing hyperventilation heart rate variability biofeedback anxiety disorders |
url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/2/256 |
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