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Mindfulness vs. relaxation: which reshapes the anxious brain?

NCT ID NCT07692269

Symptom relief Sponsor: Peking University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 09, 2026 · Last updated Sep 09, 2026 · Updated 8 times

Summary

This study tests whether an 8-week mindfulness program can reduce anxiety and depression in adults with mild emotional distress. Participants are randomly assigned to either mindfulness training or progressive muscle relaxation. Researchers use brain scans to see if mindfulness changes how the brain processes emotions. The goal is to find a simple, non-drug way to help people feel better.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Mindfulness Intervention for Emotional Distress (MIED)
What this could lead to
If effective, this could provide a structured, non-drug approach to ease anxiety and emotional distress in adults.
What could go wrong
This is an early-stage study with a modest sample size and short follow-up. Results may not generalize, and the mindfulness program may not outperform simple relaxation.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 160 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Jul 2026

Expected to finish

Feb 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 50 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Adults aged 18-50 years Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) score \> 21 No systematic mindfulness or progressive muscle relaxation practice in the past 6 months (frequency \< 1 time per week) Normal or corrected-to-normal vision Voluntary participation with signed informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Prior diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or other severe mental disorders by a psychiatrist Suicidal plan, self-injury, or need for emergency psychological crisis intervention in the past month Currently receiving systematic psychotherapy or participating in other psychological intervention programs Started psychiatric medication within the past 3 months or on an unstable medication dosage History of epilepsy, severe brain injury, or other neurological disorders that may affect EEG measurement Severe vision or hearing impairment or other conditions preventing completion of study procedures

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

anxiety anxiety disorder Depression depressive disorder mental disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Anxiety Depression Emotional distress Psychological Stress (psychology)

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Peking University, School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences

    RECRUITING

    Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China

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