Breathing techniques in the treatment of depression: A scoping review and proposal for classification

Abstract

Background: Breathing practices are increasingly being utilised in therapeutic interventions for mental health problems, including depression. One of the challenges of evaluating the impact of breathing exercises on the treatment of depression is the variability in the type of exercises used. Aims: To bring greater clarity in this area, this scoping review aimed to identify, categorise and synthesise breathing interventions that have been evaluated for depression, in order to inform further research and reviews. Method: A thematic synthesis approach was used to analyse the descriptions of breathing interventions in order to categorise these via their common features. Results: Thirty papers were included in the final synthesis. Main themes developed from thematic synthesis were related to procedural aspects of breathing interventions, namely: attention and awareness, using the body and senses, and paced breathing. Clinical implications and suggestions for further research are discussed.