An RCT-reticulated meta-analysis of six MBE therapies affecting college students' negative psychology

Abstract

The positive impact of mind-body movement therapy on mental health has been confirmed, but the current effect of various mind-body movement-specific therapies on improving the negative psychology of college students is controversial. This study compared the effects of six mind-body exercise (MBE) therapies on improving negative psychological symptoms in college students. The study found that Tai Chi (standardized mean difference [SMD]= -0.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] (-1.59, -0.15), p<0.05), yoga (SMD= -0.95, 95% CI (-1.74, -0.15), p<0.05), Yi Jin Jing (SMD= -1.15, 95% CI (-2.36, -0.05), p=<0.05), Five Animal Play (SMD= -1.1, 95% CI (-2.09, -0.02), p<0.05), and Qigong Meditation (SMD= -1.31, 95% CI (-2.2, -0.4), p<0.05) improved depressive symptoms in college students (p<0.05). Tai Chi (SMD= -7.18, 95% CI (-13.18, -1.17), p= 0.019), yoga (SMD= -6.8, 95% CI (-11.79, -1.81), p= 0.008), and Yi Jin Jing (SMD= -9.21, 95% CI (-17.55, -0.87), p= 0.03) improved college students' anxiety symptoms. It shows that the six MBE therapies are effective in improving anxiety and depression in college students.