NCT07625163Not yet recruiting
The Effects of Aerobic Exercise and Mindful Breathing on Individuals With Major Depressive Disorder in Saudi Arabia
The Effects of Aerobic Exercise and Mindful Breathing on Symptom Severity and Quality of Life in Individuals With Major Depressive Disorder in Saudi Arabia: A Randomised Clinical Trial Protocol
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 4 Jun 2026
Brief summary (registry, in English)
The goal of this Randomized Clinical Trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of aerobic exercise (AE) and mindful breathing (MB) on depressive symptom severity and quality of life (QoL), in adults with MDD. The main question is: Does aerobic exercise and mindful breathing delivery reduce depressive symptom severity and improve quality of life more effectively than standard psychiatric care? The aims to answer are: 1. To determine the effect of aerobic exercise interventions on depressive symptoms of individuals diagnosed with MDD. 2. To determine the effect of aerobic exercise interventions on health-related quality of life among individuals diagnosed with MDD. 3. To determine the effect of mindful breathing exercises on depressive symptoms among individuals diagnosed with MDD. 4. To determine the effect of the mindful breathing exercise intervention on quality of life amongst individuals diagnosed with MDD. Participants will be randomized into three groups: 1. 45 minutes of moderate AE (60-75% HRR); 2. 15 minutes of guided mindful breathing (6 breaths/minute); 3. a waitlist control receiving standard care. \*Interventions will occur three times a week for 16 weeks.
- Status (registry)
- Not yet recruiting
- Study type
- Interventional
- Enrollment
- 60 (estimated)
- First submitted
- 27 May 2026
- Start date
- 15 Jun 2026
- Primary completion date
- 14 Oct 2026
- Lead sponsor
- University of Pretoria
- Diseases
- Depression
- NCT number
- NCT07625163
What you commit to
- Study type: Interventional
- Planned participants: 60
- From 15 Jun 2026 to the primary completion date, 14 Oct 2026
- 2 sites in 1 country
- Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them
Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.
Who cannot take part
Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.
Prior treatment
- Concurrent participation in other structured exercise/mindfulness trials.
Other illness
- Patients with a history of psychosis or bipolar disorder
- Patient with physical contraindications to exercise (e.g., unstable cardiovascular disease).
Other
- Patients with high suicidal ideation
Who the study is looking for
- Adults aged 18-60 years with a formal diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) based on DSM-5-TR or ICD-10 criteria.
- A baseline score of ≥ 17 on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) is required to ensure a moderate-to-severe symptom profile
Age in the registry: 18 years to 60 years · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers
Sites (2)
Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.
| Site | City | Country | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erada Hospital and Mental Health in Al Kharj Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Al Kharj | Saudi Arabia | Unknown status |
| Erada complex and Mental Health in Riyadh Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Riyadh | Saudi Arabia | Unknown status |
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.