Effects of Bhramari Pranayama on Anxiety (GAD-7) and Depression (PHQ-9) among university students over a duration of 8 weeks: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Background: A yogic breathing technique called bhramari pranayama, which entails humming and exhaling, has been shown to have beneficial effects on anxiety and depression in a variety of groups.

Objective: To assess the effect of a structured 8-week Bhramari pranayama intervention on anxiety and depression among university students using the GAD-7 and PHQ-9 scores.

Methods: Twenty university students who had at least mild symptoms of anxiety or depression at baseline participated in this pilot trial, which used a pre-post single-group design. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) were used to measure anxiety and depression, respectively. Participants engaged in guided Bhramari pranayama for 10 minutes per day, five days a week, for eight weeks. Paired t-tests were used to compare the scores before and after the intervention.

Results: The mean GAD-7 scores reduced from 10.05 ± 3.03 to 6.55 ± 2.26 (p < 0.0001), a 34.8% decrease. PHQ-9 scores dropped from 10.25 ± 3.54 to 7.10 ± 2.63 (p < 0.0001), a 30.7% decrease. Following the session, 70% of students improved from moderate-severe to minimal-mild anxiety and depression.

Conclusion: This pilot study demonstrates that Bhramari pranayama may be a realistic and potentially effective additional strategy for reducing anxiety and depression symptoms in university students. Larger randomized controlled trials are needed to validate these findings.