The Effects of Tai Chi and Qigong Exercise on Psychological Status in Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this study was to systematically review the effectiveness of Tai Chi and Qigong exercise on adolescents' symptoms of depression and anxiety, and psychological status based on clinical evidences, and to calculate the pooled results using meta-analysis.Methods: A systematic search using seven English and three Chinese databases was initiated to identify randomized controlled trials (RCT) and non-randomized comparison studies (NRS) assessing the effect of Tai Chi and Qigong exercise on psychological status among adolescents. Standardized mean differences (SMD) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to determine the pooled effect of the intervention. Study quality was evaluated using a Checklist to Evaluate a Report of a Non-pharmacological Trial (CLEAR-NPT) designed for non-pharmacological trials.Results: Four RCTs and six NRS were identified, including 1,244 adolescents. The results suggested a potential beneficial effect of Tai chi and Qigong exercise on reducing anxiety (SMD = 0.386, 95 CI% [0.233, 0.538]) and depression (SMD = 1.937 [95 CI%, 1.392–2.546]) symptoms, and reducing cortisol level (SMD = 0.621 [95 CI%, 0.18–1.062]) in adolescents. Conversely, non-significant effects were found for stress, mood, and self-esteem.Conclusions: The findings of this review suggest Qigong appears to be an effective therapeutic modality to improve psychological well-being in adolescents. Hope future studies will have rigorously designed, well-controlled randomized trials with large sample sizes in order to confirm these findings.

Effects of qigong exercise on the physical and mental health of college students: a systematic review and Meta-analysis

“…Depression and anxiety have been widely studied in previous epidemiological studies looking at the relationship between exercise and mental health [ 53 – 54 ]. The results of this review are consistent with the conclusions of a previously published review suggesting that Tai Chi and Qigong exercises contribute to reducing anxiety and depression symptoms [ 26 , 55 – 56 ]. Specifically, effect size estimates with respect to the effects of Qigong ranged from − 0.52 to − 1.94 for depression levels and from − 0.39 to − 0.78 for anxiety levels.…”

“…Although a narrative review analysed Tai Chi and Qigong for the treatment and prevention of mental disorders, it lacked a quantitative analysis [27]. A meta-analysis assessed the effect of Qigong exercise on psychological status in adolescents, but it was not based on RCTs and did not contain an analysis of physical functions [28]. Meanwhile, there are some studies containing meta-analyses of RCTs that have evaluated the effects of Qigong on physical [29][30] and mental health [31][32][33][34], but they focused mainly on middle-aged and elderly people with various diseases, with only a small part of them being young people.…”

"Qigong and the Treatment of Illness: Recent Case Studies"

“…Liu, et al [25] examined the results of four random controlled trials and six non-randomized comparison studies involving a total of 1,244 adolescents to determine the effect of tai chi qigong exercises on the psychological status of adolescents. They found that tai chi and qigong exercises can reduce anxiety and depression as well as cortisol level.…”

“…In the West, it is sometimes used in conjunction with mainstream medicine as a supplementary tool to treat symptoms of various diseases and ailments [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. Numerous studies have found that qigong can aid in the treatment of arthritis [11], back pain [12], cancer [13][14][15][16][17], cognitive impairment [18,19], Covid-19 [20,21], COPD [22], depression and anxiety [23][24][25][26], fatigue [27], hypertension [28,29], muscle strength and posture [30], Parkinson's disease [31,32], stroke [33], and tertiary-care pain management [34].…”

Effects of Qigong Exercise on the Physical and Mental Health of College Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Although a narrative review analysed Tai Chi and Qigong for the treatment and prevention of mental disorders, it lacked a quantitative analysis [28] . A meta-analysis assessed the effect of Qigong exercise on psychological status in adolescents, but it was not based on RCTs and did not contain an analysis of physical functions [29] . Meanwhile, there are some studies containing meta-analyses of RCTs that have evaluated the effects of Qigong on physical [30][31] and mental health [32][33][34][35][36] , but they focused mainly on middle-aged and elderly people with various diseases, with only a small part of them being young people.…”