Open Access

ARTICLE

The Effects of Brain Breaks^® on Mental Stress, Resilience, Social Support, and Physical Activity among Emerging Adults in China: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Mingzhu Pan^1,2, Linghong Liu², Xinxing Li³, Yee Cheng Kueh⁴, Yanjie Zhang⁵, Garry Kuan^2,*
1 School of Physical Education, Shangrao Normal University, Shangrao, China
2 Exercise and Sports Science Programme, School of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia
3 College of Wushu and Dance, Shenyang Sport University, Shenyang, China
4 Biostatistics and Research Methodology Unit, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia
5 Physical Education Unit, School of Humanities and Social Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China
* Corresponding Author: Garry Kuan. Email:
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Physical Activity and Structured Exercise Programs as Tools for Mental Health Promotion)

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2026.080336

Received 07 February 2026; Accepted 21 April 2026; Published online 08 June 2026

Abstract

Backgrounds: Mental health challenges among Chinese emerging adults have increased in recent years, raising concerns about students’ psychological well-being in higher education. Brief, scalable interventions such as Brain Breaks^® may offer an effective strategy to promote mental health in higher-education settings. This study aims to examine the effects of a four-week Brain Breaks^® exercise program on mental stress, resilience, social support, and physical activity levels among Chinese emerging adults. Methods: Eighty college students (aged 19 ± 1.41 years) were randomly assigned to an intervention group (IG) or a control group (CG). The IG received Brain Breaks^® video-guided sessions twice weekly for four weeks, while the CG received informational brochures on stress reduction. Outcomes included mental stress assessed using a medical device (uBioMacpa), resilience measured by the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), social support assessed using the Social Support Scale for University Students (SSSUS), and physical activity engagement measured by the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ). A repeated-measures ANOVA tested time, group, and interaction effects. Results: Significant time × group interactions were observed for mental stress (p < 0.001, η² = 0.75), resilience (p < 0.001, η² = 0.43), and physical activity (p < 0.001, η² = 0.22), favoring the IG. Mental stress decreased substantially (Δ = −17.65), whereas resilience (Δ = +1.02) and physical activity increased significantly. No changes were observed in social support. Conclusions: A brief, digitally delivered Brain Breaks^® program is effective in reducing stress and enhancing resilience and physical activity among emerging adults. These findings support the integration of Brain Breaks^® into university-based mental health promotion strategies. Longer interventions may be necessary to influence social support.

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Keywords

Brain Breaks^®; mental stress; resilience; physical activity; emerging adults; mental health promotion

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