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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article

Front. Psychol.
Sec. Psychology of Aging
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1489384

The effect of Tai Chi on elderly depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Provisionally accepted
Fengya Zhu Fengya Zhu 1Shao Yin Shao Yin 2Yuan Wang Yuan Wang 2*Junqian Liu Junqian Liu 2*Yue Zhong Yue Zhong 1*Liuying Li Liuying Li 1*
  • 1 Zigong First People's Hospital, Zigong, Sichuan Province, China
  • 2 Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis assess the impact of Tai Chi on emotional well-being and quality of life in elderly individuals with depression.Searching six databases until October 20, 2024, including Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, SinoMed, and CNKI, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Participants were aged ≥60 and diagnosed with depression. Tai Chi served as the main intervention in the treatment group, with the control group receiving no exercise, or only health education. The primary outcomes focused on the improvement of depressive symptoms and quality of life. Data synthesis and metaanalysis were performed using Stata 15.1 software. The protocol of this study was registered on PROSPERO (ID: CRD42023479305).Results: Tai Chi, as the main intervention, significantly improved depressive symptoms as measured by the Geriatric Depression Scale (WMD = -5.99, 95% CI: -10.80 to -1.19, p = 0.015) compared to no exercise or health education. Subgroup analysis favored a six-month duration of Tai Chi, showing even greater benefits (WMD = -9.79, 95% CI:-13.90 to -5.69, p < 0.001). However, Tai Chi did not demonstrate a significant advantage in improving participants' scores on the Hamilton Depression Scale (WMD = -1.04, 95% CI: -3.84 to 1.76, p = 0.468).Our results indicate that Tai Chi can significantly improve depressive symptoms and quality of life in elderly individuals with depression. As a daily exercise and mind-body therapy to alleviate the mood of the elderly, it is necessary to conduct more large-sample RCTs. Further research on the details of Tai Chi, such as movements, frequency, duration, and exercise periods, is essential for a dose-response relationship, contributing to the standardized promotion of Tai Chi.

    Keywords: Elderly, Depression, Tai Chi, Quality of Life, Meta-analysis

    Received: 02 Sep 2024; Accepted: 18 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Zhu, Yin, Wang, Liu, Zhong and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Yuan Wang, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
    Junqian Liu, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
    Yue Zhong, Zigong First People's Hospital, Zigong, Sichuan Province, China
    Liuying Li, Zigong First People's Hospital, Zigong, Sichuan Province, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.