StressNCT07911020
Psychological and Physiological Effects of Three-Minute Breathing Space Meditation in UPM Postgraduate Students
A study testing Three-Minute Breathing Space Meditation in people with Stress and Anxiety, run by ZIRUI LIU at 1 site in Malaysia.
Trial summary
Postgraduate students often experience psychological distress linked to academic demands, deadlines, research uncertainty, and financial or social pressures, and international students may face additional adjustment challenges. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 20 to 45 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Stress, Anxiety, Depression
- What is being tested?
- Three-Minute Breathing Space Meditation
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 120 participants
- Where
- 1 siteMalaysia
- Study dates
- 25 Nov 2026to 31 May 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 20 to 45 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Postgraduate student currently enrolled at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)
- Aged 20 to 45 years
- Able to read and understand study materials in English
- No history of formal, systematic meditation training
Who cannot join
- Diagnosed neurological condition
- Current acute medical illness that may affect biomarker measurement
- Current use of medication known to materially affect cortisol levels
- Severe psychological distress or suicide risk requiring immediate clinical referral
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Malaysia1 site
Universiti Putra Malaysia
Serdang, Selangor, 43400
ZIRUI LIU, 60179708483, GS68137@student.upm.edu.my
About this study
Official title: The Effect of Three-Minute Breathing Space Meditation on Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Among Postgraduate Students in Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM): A Randomized Controlled Trial
Postgraduate students often experience psychological distress linked to academic demands, deadlines, research uncertainty, and financial or social pressures, and international students may face additional adjustment challenges. This study tests whether a brief, low-burden mindfulness practice - a three-minute Breathing Space Meditation (BSM) session, done four days a week for 8 weeks - can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression in postgraduate students at Universiti Putra Malaysia, compared with an active control activity that is matched in format and contact time but does not involve mindfulness training. Participants are randomly assigned to one of the two groups and are grouped by whether they are local or international students. The study also looks at whether the intervention affects stress hormone (cortisol) levels, a marker of inflammation (C-reactive protein), and a brain-wave measure linked to mood, and it collects brief daily check-ins on mood, stress, sleep, and academic pressures over the 8 weeks.
Read the detailed description
This is a single-centre, stratified, parallel-group randomized controlled trial using a 2×2×3 mixed factorial design. Intervention condition (Breathing Space Meditation versus an active attention-control activity) and student status (international versus local) are between-participant factors, and assessment time (baseline, week 4, week 8) is a within-participant factor, with 1:1 allocation within each student-status stratum. Participants cannot be blinded to which activity they are assigned, but outcome assessment, EEG processing, and statistical analysis will be conducted using coded data by personnel blinded to allocation where feasible. In addition to the formal assessments at baseline, week 4, and week 8, participants complete a brief daily questionnaire (under 3 minutes) capturing state stress, anxiety, low mood, coping confidence, academic stressors, sleep, and same-day intervention completion; these daily measures are analyzed exploratorily using multilevel time-series methods and are not treated as clinical (DASS-21) scores. Confirmatory analyses follow the intention-to-treat principle, with a per-protocol analysis prespecified as a sensitivity analysis.
- Conditions
- Stress, Anxiety, Depression
- Being tested
- Three-Minute Breathing Space Meditation, Neutral Audio Attention-Control Activity
- Keywords
- Breathing Space Meditation, Postgraduate Students, Cortisol, C-Reactive Protein, EEG, Frontal Alpha Asymmetry, Ecological Momentary Assessment
- Medical subject headings
- Anxiety Disorders, Depression
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Three-Minute Breathing Space MeditationBehavioural
A standardized three-minute guided meditation exercise consisting of three steps: (1) becoming aware of present-moment thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations, (2) redirecting attention to the breath, and (3) expanding awareness to the body as a whole. Delivered four days per week for 8 weeks.
Neutral Audio Attention-Control ActivityBehavioural
A neutral audio listening activity matched to the BSM intervention in delivery mode, contact time, session length, and frequency (three minutes, four days per week for 8 weeks), containing no meditation, relaxation, or mindfulness instructions.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| BSM Intervention Group | Experimental | Participants receive a standardized three-minute guided Breathing Space Meditation (BSM) session, four days per week for 8 weeks Receives: Behavioral: Three-Minute Breathing Space Meditation |
| Active Attention-Control Group | Active comparator | Participants receive a neutral audio activity matched to the BSM condition in delivery mode, contact, session length, and frequency; this is not a waitlist control. Receives: Behavioral: Neutral Audio Attention-Control Activity |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in DASS-21 Anxiety Subscale Score
The Anxiety subscale of the DASS-21 will be used to assess physiological arousal and subjective anxiety symptoms over the past week. Scores range from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating greater anxiety severity.
Measured: Baseline and Week 8
Change in DASS-21 Stress Subscale Score
The Stress subscale of the DASS-21 will be used to assess perceived stress over the past week. Scores range from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating greater stress severity.
Measured: Baseline and Week 8
Change in DASS-21 Depression Subscale Score
The Depression subscale of the DASS-21 will be used to assess dysphoria, hopelessness, and low positive affect over the past week. Scores range from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating greater depression severity.
Measured: Baseline and Week 8
Secondary outcomes (3)
Change in Serum Cortisol
Serum cortisol will be measured via venous blood sampling as a biomarker of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity and physiological stress response.
Measured: Baseline, Week 4, and Week 8
Change in C-Reactive Protein
High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) will be measured via venous blood sampling as a peripheral biomarker of systemic inflammation.
Measured: Baseline, Week 4, and Week 8
Change in Frontal Alpha Asymmetry
Resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) will be recorded to derive frontal alpha asymmetry, an index of relative left versus right frontal cortical activation associated with approach/withdrawal-related emotional processing.
Measured: Baseline, Week 4, and Week 8
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted2 Nov 2026
- Study start25 Nov 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion31 Mar 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion31 May 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for StressStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Participants are stratified by student status (local vs. international) and randomized 1:1 within each stratum; formal assessments occur at baseline, week 4, and week 8.
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 120 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- ZIRUI LIU
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor-investigator, ZIRUI LIU, Universiti Putra Malaysia
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07911020
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- UPM-BSM-RCT-2026-01
- Status last verified
- Sep 2026
- First submitted
- 5 Sep 2026
- Last updated
- 2 Nov 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 2 Nov 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Effect of Three-Minute Breathing Space Meditation on Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Among Postgraduate Students in Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM): A Randomized Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07911020
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- UPM-BSM-RCT-2026-01
- Conditions
- Stress, Anxiety, Depression
- Keywords
- Breathing Space Meditation, Postgraduate Students, Cortisol, C-Reactive Protein, EEG, Frontal Alpha Asymmetry, Ecological Momentary Assessment
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 120 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- ZIRUI LIUUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 25 Nov 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 31 Mar 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 May 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 2 Nov 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Postgraduate students often experience psychological distress linked to academic demands, deadlines, research uncertainty, and financial or social pressures, and international students may face additional adjustment challenges. This study tests whether a brief, low-burden mindfulness practice - a three-minute Breathing Space Meditation (BSM) session, done four days a week for 8 weeks - can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression in postgraduate students at Universiti Putra Malaysia, compared with an active control activity that is matched in format and contact time but does not involve mindfulness training. Participants are randomly assigned to one of the two groups and are grouped by whether they are local or international students. The study also looks at whether the intervention affects stress hormone (cortisol) levels, a marker of inflammation (C-reactive protein), and a brain-wave measure linked to mood, and it collects brief daily check-ins on mood, stress, sleep, and academic pressures over the 8 weeks.
Detailed description
This is a single-centre, stratified, parallel-group randomized controlled trial using a 2×2×3 mixed factorial design. Intervention condition (Breathing Space Meditation versus an active attention-control activity) and student status (international versus local) are between-participant factors, and assessment time (baseline, week 4, week 8) is a within-participant factor, with 1:1 allocation within each student-status stratum. Participants cannot be blinded to which activity they are assigned, but outcome assessment, EEG processing, and statistical analysis will be conducted using coded data by personnel blinded to allocation where feasible. In addition to the formal assessments at baseline, week 4, and week 8, participants complete a brief daily questionnaire (under 3 minutes) capturing state stress, anxiety, low mood, coping confidence, academic stressors, sleep, and same-day intervention completion; these daily measures are analyzed exploratorily using multilevel time-series methods and are not treated as clinical (DASS-21) scores. Confirmatory analyses follow the intention-to-treat principle, with a per-protocol analysis prespecified as a sensitivity analysis.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Participants are stratified by student status (local vs. international) and randomized 1:1 within each stratum; formal assessments occur at baseline, week 4, and week 8.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| BSM Intervention Group | Experimental | Behavioral: Three-Minute Breathing Space MeditationParticipants receive a standardized three-minute guided Breathing Space Meditation (BSM) session, four days per week for 8 weeks |
| Active Attention-Control Group | Active comparator | Behavioral: Neutral Audio Attention-Control ActivityParticipants receive a neutral audio activity matched to the BSM condition in delivery mode, contact, session length, and frequency; this is not a waitlist control. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 20 to 45 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Postgraduate student currently enrolled at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)
- Aged 20 to 45 years
- Able to read and understand study materials in English
- No history of formal, systematic meditation training
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Diagnosed neurological condition
- Current acute medical illness that may affect biomarker measurement
- Current use of medication known to materially affect cortisol levels
- Severe psychological distress or suicide risk requiring immediate clinical referral
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Three-Minute Breathing Space MeditationA standardized three-minute guided meditation exercise consisting of three steps: (1) becoming aware of present-moment thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations, (2) redirecting attention to the breath, and (3) expanding awareness to the body as a whole. Delivered four days per week for 8 weeks. | Behavioural | BSM Intervention Group |
| Neutral Audio Attention-Control ActivityA neutral audio listening activity matched to the BSM intervention in delivery mode, contact time, session length, and frequency (three minutes, four days per week for 8 weeks), containing no meditation, relaxation, or mindfulness instructions. | Behavioural | Active Attention-Control Group |
Primary outcome
Change in DASS-21 Anxiety Subscale Score
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
The Anxiety subscale of the DASS-21 will be used to assess physiological arousal and subjective anxiety symptoms over the past week. Scores range from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating greater anxiety severity.
Change in DASS-21 Stress Subscale Score
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
The Stress subscale of the DASS-21 will be used to assess perceived stress over the past week. Scores range from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating greater stress severity.
Change in DASS-21 Depression Subscale Score
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
The Depression subscale of the DASS-21 will be used to assess dysphoria, hopelessness, and low positive affect over the past week. Scores range from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating greater depression severity.
3 secondary outcomes
Change in Serum Cortisol
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, and Week 8
Change in C-Reactive Protein
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, and Week 8
Change in Frontal Alpha Asymmetry
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, and Week 8
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 2 Nov 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Three-Minute Breathing Space Meditation in people with Stress and Anxiety, run by ZIRUI LIU at 1 site in Malaysia.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 Nov 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Malaysia. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact ZIRUI LIU (60179708483, GS68137@student.upm.edu.my), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in DASS-21 Anxiety Subscale Score (time frame: Baseline and Week 8). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 2 Nov 2026.