Objective: The objective of this investigation was to determine the effect of diaphragmatic breathing on self-reported levels of anxiety, respiratory rate, and heart rate in mechanically ventilated adult tracheostomized participants. Method: One participant was recruited and participated in the investigation, which took place at a long-term acute care hospital in San Antonio, Texas. Using an ABAB Withdrawal design, the independent variable of diaphragmatic breathing was used to determine its effect on anxiety as quantified by the dependent variables of self-reported anxiety score on the Visual Analogue Score for Anxiety (VAS-A), respiratory rate, and heart rate. Results: All three dependent variables improved with the introduction of the intervention, with therapeutic slopes greater during the intervention phases. When the percentage of non-overlapping data was analyzed, intervention phases had between 75-100% PND compared to non-intervention phases, showing a strong effect of the intervention. Conclusion: The literature supports diaphragmatic breathing to reduce anxiety; this study adds additional support to its application to mechanically ventilated individuals. Further research is indicated to validate these findings in a larger study, with possible exploration across additional diagnoses.
