Tai Chi as an Alternative or Complementary Therapy for Patients With Depression

Abstract

Considering depression ranks high among the contributors to worldwide disease burden and conventional treatments have severe limitations, Tai Chi, due to its holistic approach, is being explored as an alternative therapy. A systematic review was conducted to determine the efficacy of Tai Chi as a treatment option for depression. Inclusion criteria included the following: ( a) studies published in the English language, ( b) studies published between January 2007 and July 2012, ( c) studies that included Tai Chi as a therapy in an intervention, ( d) studies that used any quantitative study design, and ( e) studies that measured depression as an outcome. A total of 11 studies met these criteria. The efficacy of Tai Chi as an alternative and complementary treatment for depression is mixed. Limitations of the reviewed interventions included a mixed usage of instruments, high dropout rates, low sample sizes, and a lack of quality assessment tools for Tai Chi.