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Generalised anxiety disorder is marked by persistent, hard-to-control worry that often feeds a cycle of stress and anxiety. While pharmacotherapy is a common treatment, brief digital programmes that people can follow on their own may offer a practical and scalable complement. This trial investigated whether an eight-week, self-guided, internet-based stress management programme — incorporating mindfulness training and Baduanjin-based stretching exercises — could add benefit when used alongside routine drug treatment in adults with generalised anxiety disorder.
One hundred and forty adults diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder at Tongji Hospital in Wuhan, China, were randomly assigned to either the internet-based stress management programme plus treatment as usual, or treatment as usual alone. The trial used intention-to-treat analysis and blinded outcome assessors. Longitudinal network modelling was applied to explore how symptoms changed over time within individuals.
Participants receiving the combined programme showed meaningfully greater reductions in anxiety, depression, somatic symptoms, state anxiety, rumination, and perceived stress compared with those receiving medication alone. Mindfulness scores also improved more in the combined group. No significant differences were found for sleep quality or social functioning. Higher baseline awareness-in-action predicted better outcomes, while higher trait anxiety was associated with a poorer response. Network analyses identified mindfulness as a driver of subsequent anxiety reduction over time.
Conclusion: A brief, culturally adapted digital mindfulness and Baduanjin intervention used alongside pharmacotherapy produced clinically meaningful improvements across several anxiety-related outcomes in Chinese adults with generalised anxiety disorder.
Source: Wang Z, Tong HQ, Yue J et al. Journal of medical Internet research (2026). View on PubMed (PMID 42247657) · doi:10.1080/08989621.2025.2544331
