Effectiveness of Mitchell's and Benson's relaxation techniques on anxiety and depression in patients with chronic bronchial asthma

Chronic bronchial asthma is frequently accompanied by anxiety and depression, which can worsen the perception of respiratory symptoms and reduce quality of life. Relaxation techniques are low-cost supportive options, but comparative evidence for Mitchell’s and Benson’s relaxation techniques in asthma is limited. This experimental comparative study compared the two techniques in 26 adults with chronic bronchial asthma, allocated equally to Group A (Mitchell’s technique) and Group B (Benson’s technique). Each technique was delivered for 20 minutes per session, 5 days per week for 4 weeks, and anxiety and depression were measured before and after the intervention using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Both groups showed a statistically significant reduction in HADS scores. The mean reduction was 4.31 points (standard deviation 0.85) with Mitchell’s technique and 3.00 points (standard deviation 0.71) with Benson’s technique, and the between-group difference was statistically significant with a large effect size. Both techniques are effective supportive interventions for psychological distress in chronic bronchial asthma, with Mitchell’s technique producing the greater improvement in this study.