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Impact of Holotropic Breathwork on Nursing Student Mental Health

NCT07106554 · Status: TERMINATED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 2

Last updated 2026-03-04

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Purpose of the Study

This study investigates whether Holotropic Breathwork (HB)-a technique involving controlled hyperventilation paired with music and guided support-can improve the mental, emotional, and existential well-being of nursing students. The researchers aim to:

Evaluate the acceptability and impact of HB in this population.

Compare psychological, interpersonal, and existential functioning before and after the breathwork session.

Study Design Participants: Up to 72 current UNMC nursing students (age 19+), excluding those with bipolar/psychotic disorders, cardiac/seizure conditions, glaucoma, or recent surgeries. Pregnant individuals are excluded.

Intervention: A single-day breathwork session, led by certified facilitators, including preparatory instruction, two breathwork rounds (one as "breather," one as "sitter"), and integration discussions.

Data Collection: Surveys before, immediately after, and at 1-, 3-, and 6-month follow-ups. Instruments include:

Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)

General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7)

Psychological Insight Scale

Self and Interpersonal Functioning Scale

Purpose in Life Test

Emotional Breakthrough and Mystical Experience Questionnaires

Significance Nursing students face significant stress, anxiety, and even suicide risk. HB may offer a safe, non-drug intervention to support their mental health. While HB has been studied in other populations, this is the first known study targeting nursing students.

Safety Measures Participants monitored by trained facilitators.

Pre-screening includes a urine pregnancy test.

Emergency plans include psychiatric assessment, Uber/Lyft rides if needed, and referral systems for mental health support.

If \>15% of participants experience serious adverse events, the study will be halted.

Conditions

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

holotropic breathwork

participants will engage in holotropic breathwork

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University of Nebraska

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Model
SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age
19 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2025-08-28
Primary Completion
2025-08-31
Completion
2025-08-31

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Entities

Diseases

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07106554 on ClinicalTrials.gov