The effect of mindful breathing on anxiety and emotional well-being among community-dwelling adults

Background: Anxiety is a maladaptive response commonly found in urban communities and can diminish emotional well-being. The rising prevalence of mental health issues necessitates simple yet effective non-pharmacological interventions. Objective: This study aims to determine the effect of a single session of mindful breathing intervention on anxiety levels and emotional well-being among community-dwelling adults in Padasuka Village, Cimahi City, Indonesia. Methods: This study employed a pre-experimental design with a one-group pretest-posttest approach conducted from February to March 2026. The sample consisted of 40 respondents aged 22–57 years, selected through purposive sampling. The mindful breathing intervention was conducted for 20 minutes. Anxiety levels were measured using the GAD-7 instrument, and emotional well-being was assessed using the WHO-5. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test and Effect Size calculation. Results: The Wilcoxon test showed a significant decrease in anxiety scores (p < 0.001) from a mean of 9.35 to 3.43, with all respondents (100%) showing a decrease. Emotional well-being increased significantly (p < 0.001) from 68.40 to 89.70, with 92.5% of respondents showing improvement. The effect sizes were 1.98 for anxiety and 1.43 for emotional well-being. Conclusion: A single session of mindful breathing was associated with changes in anxiety scores and emotional well-being among community-dwelling adults. These findings provide preliminary evidence of potential benefit; however, the one-group pretest-posttest design without a control group does not allow causal conclusions regarding intervention effectiveness.