Clinical Research Directory

Psychological and Physiological Effects of Three-Minute Breathing Space Meditation in UPM Postgraduate Students

Sponsor: ZIRUI LIU

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. 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.

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

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