Anxiety in Parkinsonâ??s disease (aPD) is underdiagnosed, undertreated, and understudied. As many as 50% of persons diagnosed\nwith Parkinsonâ??s disease (PD) are reported to suffer from anxiety. Current treatment is largely pharmacologic, which can result\nin a myriad of undesirable and unsafe side effects. The aim of this paper is to examine intervention studies of self-managed\nnonpharmacological strategies for the treatment of anxiety. A comprehensive review was conducted on experimental or quasiexperimental\ntrials that included self-management approaches for the nonpharmacologic treatment of anxiety as a primary or\nsecondary aim or outcome measure. Thirteen studies were identified from four databases. Study quality demonstrated variability\nin design and delivery of self-managed interventions; sample sizes were small; anxiety was most commonly a secondary aim;\nand the use of anxiety measures varied widely. Statistical significance was evident in slightly more than 50% of the anxiety\nintervention studies. A common element in the interventions in all studies was the focused use of breath. Further research is\nneeded to determine the feasibility of using focused breathing, alone, as an intervention for the self-management of anxiety in\nParkinsonâ??s disease.
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