title: Managing stress and anxiety through qigong exercise in healthy adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An increasing number of studies have documented the effectiveness of qigong exercise in helping people reduce psychological stress and anxiety, but there is a scarcity of systematic reviews evaluating evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) conducted among healthy subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirteen databases were searched for RCTs from their inception through June 2013. Effects of qigong exercise were pooled across trials. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) were calculated for the pooled effects. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 test. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven RCTs met the inclusion criteria. Two RCTs suggested that qigong exercise immediately relieved anxiety among healthy adults, compared to lecture attendance and structured movements only. Four RCTs suggested qigong exercise relieved anxiety (pooled SMD = -0.75; 95% CI, -1.11 to -0.40), and three RCTs suggested that qigong exercise reduced stress (pooled SMD = -0.88; 95% CI, -1.22 to -0.55) among healthy subjects following one to three months of qigong practice, compared to wait-list controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The available evidence suggests that qigong exercise reduces stress and anxiety in healthy adults. However, given the limited number of RCTs and their methodological flaws, further rigorously designed RCTs are needed.
authors.forename: Chong-Wen
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Celia H Y
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Rainbow T H
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Jessie S M
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Siu-Man
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: Centre on Behavioral Health, The University of Hong Kong, 5 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China. cecichan@hku.hk.
authors.forename: Cecilia L W
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D064906:Qigong / Q000523:psychology*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*