Effect of mindful breathing on anxiety, depression, and quality of life among women with endometriosis.

Summary

Mindful breathing exercises offer profound relief for women living with endometriosis. Among 108 participants, 54 engaging in these exercises experienced a substantial drop in average anxiety scores, from 13.22 to 6.70, and depression scores, from 12.56 to 4.31. Their quality of life also improved dramatically, with scores shifting from 70.48 to 21.28. These findings underscore how mindful breathing can effectively alleviate anxiety and depression, significantly enhancing the overall well-being of women with endometriosis.

Abstract

Women diagnosed with endometriosis often experience heightened anxiety, depression, and a diminished quality of life (QoL). To address these issues, mindful breathing exercises have been introduced aimed at reducing anxiety and depression and enhancing overall QoL. This study aims to evaluate the levels and differences in anxiety, depression, and QoL among women with endometriosis before and after a mindful breathing exercise, between the intervention and control groups. This quasi-experimental study involved 108 women with endometriosis, selected through convenience sampling. Participants were divided into two groups: an intervention group (n = 54) and a control group (n = 54). The mean total anxiety score of the intervention group significantly decreased from 13.22 ± 2.84 at baseline to 6.70 ± 3.11 at T3 (p < 0.01). Similarly, the mean total depression score was reduced from 12.56 ± 3.95 at baseline to 4.31 ± 3.56 at T3 (p < 0.01). Additionally, the mean total QoL score improved from 70.48 ± 19.04 at baseline to 21.28 ± 14.53 at T3 (p < 0.01). These results indicate that the mindful breathing exercises led to statistically significant improvements in anxiety, depression, and QoL. This finding recommended that nursing practices in clinical, educational, and management settings adopt and implement mindful breathing exercises to better support women with endometriosis.

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