The Effects of Aerobic Exercise and Mindful Breathing on Individuals With Major Depressive Disorder in Saudi Arabia

Starting soon · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

In brief

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.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT07625163

Run by

University of Pretoria

People needed

60

Starts

2026-06-15

Expected to finish

2026-11-14

Last updated by the study team

2026-06-04

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 60. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• 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

You may not qualify if…

• Patients with high suicidal ideation
• Patients with a history of psychosis or bipolar disorder
• Patient with physical contraindications to exercise (e.g., unstable cardiovascular disease).
• Concurrent participation in other structured exercise/mindfulness trials.

Where it is running

• Erada Hospital and Mental Health in Al Kharj — Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia
• Erada complex and Mental Health in Riyadh — Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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