Breathing-Based Meditation for Treatment-Resistant Depression
Can breathing meditation help when antidepressants aren’t enough?
Breathing meditation provides significant additional benefits when antidepressants aren’t enough. Randomized pilot study found meaningful improvements in treatment-resistant depression when added to existing medication.
Breathing meditation works by activating the parasympathetic nervous system and improving emotional regulation, providing patients with an active tool to manage symptoms alongside medication.
What the data show:
- Target population: treatment-resistant depression affecting 30-40% of patients
- Combined treatment: added to existing antidepressant therapy
- Mechanism: activates parasympathetic nervous system and improves emotional regulation
- Accessibility: active, accessible tool patients can use anytime
- Clinical benefit: meaningful improvements in depressive symptoms
A randomized pilot study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry found that patients with treatment-resistant depression who added a structured breathing-based meditation program to their existing antidepressant therapy experienced meaningful improvements in depressive symptoms.