title: Effects of a brief Qigong-based stress reduction program (BQSRP) in a distressed Korean population: a randomized trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Distressed individuals in Korea may benefit from the practice of mind-body exercises such as Qigong. However, the effectiveness of such techniques needs to be investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty participants who were eligible to this study were randomized into a group receiving a 4-week intervention of a brief Qigong-based stress reduction program (BQSRP) or a wait-list control group. Before and after the intervention period, saliva samples were collected and questionnaires were completed on perceived stress, anxiety, "Hwa-Byung" (anger syndrome), and quality of life. Salivary cortisol has emerged in mind-body therapy research as an easy-to-collect, relatively inexpensive, biologic marker of stress. Salivary corisol were collected to evaluate physiological effect of BQSRP. Between-group comparisons of change from baseline to study completion were analyzed by analysis of covariance for the Perceived Stress Scale and independent two sample t-tests for other measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the control group, the BQSRP intervention group displayed significantly larger decreases in Perceived Stress Scale scores (p = 0.0006), State Anxiety scores (p = 0.0028), Trait Anxiety scores (p < 0.0001), personality subscale scores of the Hwa-Byung Scale (p = 0.0321), symptoms scores of the Hwa-Byung Scale (p = 0.0196), and a significantly larger increase in World Health Organization Quality of Life Abbreviated version scores (ps < .05). Salivary cortisol levels were not changed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The BQSRP appears to be effective in reducing stress perception, anxiety, anger, and improving quality of life (KCT0000056).
authors.affiliation: Departments of Korean Neuropsychiatry, College of Korean Medicine and Institute of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 1 Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Eun-Young
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Sun-Yong
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Jae-Heung
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Mi-Yeon
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Sehyun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jong-Woo
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001945:Breathing Exercises; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D056910:Republic of Korea; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult