Author: Liu X1, Vitetta L2, Kostner K3, Crompton D4, Williams G5, Brown WJ6, Lopez A7, Xue CC8, Oei TP9, Byrne G10, Martin JH11, Whiteford H5.
Affiliation:
1The University of Queensland School of Medicine, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia ; Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, China ; Wuhan Sports University, Wuhan, Hubei 430079, China. 2The University of Queensland School of Medicine, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia. 3The University of Queensland School of Medicine, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia ; Mater Health Services, Brisbane, QLD 4101, Australia. 4The University of Queensland School of Medicine, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia ; Metro South Addiction and Mental Health Services, Brisbane, QLD 4122, Australia ; Centre for Neuroscience, Recovery and Mental Health, Brisbane, QLD 4122, Australia. 5The University of Queensland School of Public Health, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia. 6The University of Queensland School of Human Movement Studies, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia. 7Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia. 8RMIT University School of Health Sciences, Melbourne, VIC 3083, Australia. 9The University of Queensland School of Psychology, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia. 10The University of Queensland School of Medicine, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia ; Mental Health Service, Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital, Brisbane, QLD 4029, Australia. 11The University of Queensland School of Medicine, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia ; School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia.
Conference/Journal: Evid Based Complement Alternat Med.
Date published: 2015
Other:
Volume ID: 2015 , Pages: 879712 , Special Notes: doi: 10.1155/2015/879712 , Word Count: 184
Abstract
This study examined the effects of Tai Chi, a low-impact mind-body movement therapy, on severity of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in centrally obese people with elevated depression symptoms. In total, 213 participants were randomized to a 24-week Tai Chi intervention program or a wait-list control group. Assessments were conducted at baseline and 12 and 24 weeks. Outcomes were severity of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms, leg strength, central obesity, and other measures of metabolic symptom. There were statistically significant between-group differences in favor of the Tai Chi group in depression (mean difference = -5.6 units, P < 0.001), anxiety (-2.3 units, P < 0.01), and stress (-3.6 units, P < 0.001) symptom scores and leg strength (1.1 units, P < 0.001) at 12 weeks. These changes were further improved or maintained in the Tai Chi group relative to the control group during the second 12 weeks of follow-up. Tai Chi appears to be beneficial for reducing severity of depression, anxiety, and stress and leg strength in centrally obese people with depression symptoms. More studies with longer follow-up are needed to confirm the findings. This trial is registered with ACTRN12613000010796.
PMID: 25688280 [PubMed] PMCID: PMC4320798
