Breathing technique could help manage substance addiction

A breathing-based intervention could be effective in patients with substance use disorders.

In a systematic review and meta-analysis published in Addiction, investigators used data from the Web of Science, PsycInfo, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, PubMed, Scopus and Cochrane databases to assess the efficacy of controlled breathing in improving substance use-related outcomes in 20 studies involving participants with substance use disorders across alcohol, nicotine and other substances.

Compared with controls, the investigators found that the participants who partook in breathing-based interventions experienced lower substance cravings and limited but notable reductions in substance dependence. However, there were no statistically significant differences in withdrawal symptoms between the two groups.

The findings suggested that the controlled breathing strategy could provide a more cost-effective treatment option in this patient population.

Read more: Addiction

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