ArticleEvidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM2013
The effect of qigong on depressive and anxiety symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Article in Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06006221 (The Effect of Qigong Intervention on State Anxiety Levels of Inpatiens in Psychiatric Wards), which is not on this map. Cited by 30 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
The Effect of Qigong Intervention on State Anxiety Levels of Inpatiens in Psychiatric Wards: A Randomized Controlled Study
Who cites it
30 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 65 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- The Use of Physical Activity in Coping with Test Anxiety Among Students: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Pooled it
- The effects of traditional Chinese exercises on anxiety and depression in adults: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2025Pooled it
- Cognitive-behavioural therapy for a variety of conditions: an overview of systematic reviews and panoramic meta-analysis.Health technology assessment (Winchester, England) · 2021Pooled it
- The Effects of Tai Chi and Qigong Exercise on Psychological Status in Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Frontiers in psychology · 2021Pooled it
- Qigong for hypertension: a systematic review.Medicine · 2015Pooled it
- The effects of tai chi on depression, anxiety, and psychological well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis.International journal of behavioral medicine · 2014Pooled it
- Managing stress and anxiety through qigong exercise in healthy adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.BMC complementary and alternative medicine · 2014Pooled it
- Effects of Baduanjin Exercise on Depression Severity and Heart Rate Variability in Adults with Major Depressive Disorder: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.Psychology research and behavior management · 2025Trial
- Effectiveness of Liu-zi-jue exercise on coronavirus disease 2019 in the patients: a randomized controlled trial.Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan · 2022Trial
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- Trial
- The Effectiveness of Qigong in Managing a Cluster of Symptoms (Breathlessness-Fatigue-Anxiety) in Patients with Lung Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Integrative cancer therapiesTrial
- Article
- Immunomodulatory Effects in Healthy Individuals Following a 4-Week Taoist Qigong Intervention: A Comparative Study.Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research · 2023Article
- Article
- Biobehavioral effects of Tai Chi Qigong in men with prostate cancer: Study design of a three-arm randomized clinical trial.Contemporary clinical trials communications · 2019Article
- Qigong and Musculoskeletal Pain.Current rheumatology reports · 2019Review
- Article
- Acute Physiological and Psychological Effects of Qigong Exercise in Older Practitioners.Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2018Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objective. To evaluate clinical trial evidence of the effectiveness of qigong exercise on depressive and anxiety symptoms. Methods. Thirteen databases were searched from their respective inception through December 2012. Relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included. Effects of qigong across trials were pooled. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) were calculated for the pooled effects. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I (2) test. Study quality was evaluated using the Wayne Checklist. Results. Twelve RCTs met the inclusion criteria. The results of meta-analyses suggested a beneficial effect of qigong exercise on depressive symptoms when compared to waiting-list controls or usual care only (SMD = -0.75; 95% CI, -1.44 to -0.06), group newspaper reading (SMD = -1.24; 95% CI, -1.64 to -0.84), and walking or conventional exercise (SMD = -0.52; 95% CI, -0.85 to -0.19), which might be comparable to that of cognitive-behavioral therapy (P = 0.54). Available evidence did not suggest a beneficial effect of qigong exercise on anxiety symptoms. Conclusion. Qigong may be potentially beneficial for management of depressive symptoms, but the results should be interpreted with caution due to the limited number of RCTs and associated methodological weaknesses. Further rigorously designed RCTs are warranted.
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.