Brief mindfulness meditation based on Buddhist Anapanasati regulates stress response in young Chinese males.
Xiao-Na Zhou, Jun-Lan Liu, Jia-Hui Guo, Qi-Qi Ge, Shi-Yang Zhong, Chun-Lei Jiang
Anxiety, Stress, and Coping April 7, 2026 DOI: 10.1080/10615806.2026.2655786 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 85 |
| Population | Young Chinese men aged 20-30 |
| Intervention | Brief Mindfulness Meditation |
| Dose | 15 min daily |
| Duration | Two-week intervention |
| Measures | PSS, PANAS, FFMQ, HRV, cortisol |
| Topics | Buddhism Meditation |
| Keywords | Brief mindfulness meditation Emotion Heart rate variability Salivary cortisol Stress |
| Key findings | Two-week daily 15-minute BMM reduced perceived stress and LF/HF ratio and increased positive affect and acting with awareness compared to a neutral audio control. |
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and mechanisms of a two-week Brief Mindfulness Meditation (BMM) intervention for stress and emotion dysregulation in young Chinese men. In a randomized controlled trial, with 85 male participants (aged 20-30) were assigned to either a two-week BMM intervention (15 min daily) or a control group with neutral audio interventions. Pre- and post-intervention assessments included physiological (HRV, cortisol), psychological (PSS, PANAS) and mindfulness-related outcomes (FFMQ). Compared with the control group, the BMM group showed significant reductions in perceived stress (-5.00, 95% CI [-9.50, -0.52]) and LF/HF ratio (-0.65, 95% CI [-1.16, -0.13]), as well as significant increases in positive affect (7.39, 95% CI [3.81, 10.97]) and Acting with Awareness. Mediation analyses further indicated that the effect on positive affect was fully mediated by a reduction in perceived stress, whereas the effect on negative affect was partially mediated by an enhancement in Acting with Awareness. BMM effectively reduces stress and promotes emotional well-being in young men through distinct mechanisms: it enhances positive affect by lowering perceived stress and mitigates negative affect by cultivating an awareness-based approach to acting.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on buddhism, most cited first.
Citations in the library
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- Brief Mindfulness Meditation Improves Emotion Processing Frontiers in Neuroscience October 10, 2019
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and 12 more in the library