Timmer, J.L. (Justin) (2016) The effects of a home-based Deep Slow Breathing program on perceived stress and breathing patterns, a single-blind controlled pilot study. thesis, Human Movement Sciences.
Full text available on request.Abstract
A third of the Western student population reports study-related psychological complaints. Yoga and mindfulness are known as effective intervention techniques to reduce stress. A common ground of techniques like yoga and mindfulness is deep slow breathing (DSB). Since DSB-exercises are known to reduce acute stress, introducing a DSB-program for students may be well a way to reduce study-related stress. Furthermore, a DSB-program might have effects on breathing efficiency during relaxation and during DSB-exercises. In order to investigate the effects of a DSB-program, a four week application-guided DSB-program was performed by an intervention-group (N=9) while a control group (N=11) performed “sitting quietly” exercises. Perceived stress and breathing parameters were measured at baseline, after two weeks, and at the end of the program. At each session, breathing parameters were measured during relaxation and DSB-exercises. No significant changes occurred in perceived stress over the program. In both groups thoracic- and abdominal respiratory frequency decreased over the sessions during relaxation while thoracic respiratory amplitude increased. Within the DSB-group abdominal respiratory amplitude decreased over the sessions during DSB-exercises. The changes within the breathing parameters had no relation with the changes within perceived stress. These results showed no beneficial effects of the DSB-program on perceived stress or breathing patterns over a prolonged period of time. However, some design constraints limited the outcomes of this study. Therefore it cannot be completely ruled out that proper performed DSB-exercises have no effect on self-perceived stress and on breathing efficiency during relaxation. Future studies should include more and exclusively stressed participants, and should make sure that proper DSB-techniques are performed during the program to assess the effect of a DSB-program on perceived stress and breathing parameters. Keywords: Deep slow breathing exercises, psychological stress, breathing frequency, breathing amplitude.
| Item Type: | Thesis (UNSPECIFIED) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Hortobágyi, prof. dr. T. and Groot, M. de |
| Faculty: | Medical Sciences |
| Date Deposited: | 04 May 2022 07:27 |
| Last Modified: | 04 May 2022 07:27 |
| URI: | https://umcg.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/3196 |
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