Can a breathing app calm a stressed teen's mind in real time?

NCT ID NCT07717112

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 21, 2026 · Last updated Jul 22, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial tests a smartphone app called E-breathing that detects when a teen is feeling distressed and prompts them to practice slow-paced breathing. The study includes 100 adolescents aged 11 to 17 in Hong Kong who have at least mild symptoms of depression, anxiety, or stress. Half will use the app with breathing prompts; the other half will only report their feelings. The goal is to see if real-time breathing exercises can reduce psychological distress.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
slow-paced breathing via a smartphone app
What this could lead to
If effective, this app could offer a simple, on-demand tool to help teens manage stress, anxiety, and low mood in real time.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage trial with only 100 participants, so results may not apply broadly. The effect may be small or short-lived.

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 100 people

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

Expected to start

Oct 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

May 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

11 to 17 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: 1. Aged between 11 to17 years; 2. With at least one mild mental health state as reported by Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21; 3. Able to read and understand Chinese; 4. Have access to a mobile phone and data plan. Exclusion Criteria: 1. With a diagnosis of hearing, visual, or physical impairments that may hinder study participation; 2. With a diagnosed history of major mental illnesses or other diagnosed medical conditions that may affect study participation.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

anxiety anxiety disorder Consciousness Disorders

As listed by the trial registrant

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

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

  • The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

    Kowloon, Hong Kong

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