Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most prevalent mental illnesses in America. Current treatments for MDD are unsatisfactory given high non-response rates, high relapse rates, and undesirable side effects. Accumulating evidence suggests that Tai Chi, a popular mind–body intervention that originated as a martial art, can significantly regulate emotion and relieve the symptoms of mood disorders. In addition, the availability of instructional videos and the development of more simplified and less structured Tai Chi has made it a promising low-intensity mind-body exercise. In this article, we first examine a number of clinical trials that implemented Tai Chi as a treatment for depression. Then, we explore several mechanisms by which Tai Chi may alleviate depressive symptoms, hypothesizing that the intervention may modulate the activity and connectivity of key brain regions involved in mood regulation, reduce neuro-inflammatory sensitization, modulate the autonomic nervous system, and regulate hippocampal neurogenesis. Finally, we discuss common challenges of the intervention and possible ways to address them. Specifically, we pose developing a simplified and tailored Tai Chi protocol for patients with depression, comparatively investigating Tai Chi with other mind–body interventions such as yoga and Baduanjin, and developing new mind–body interventions that merge the advantages of multiple mind–body exercises.
Highlights
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a highly prevalent mental illness in the United States [1]
They found that patients in the Tai Chi-supplemented condition were more likely to 1) experience a greater improvement in depressive symptoms or achieve depression remission and 2) have greater improvements in C-reactive protein levels and the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey physical functioning and cognitive tests compared to the control group
Women randomized to the moderateintensity walking (MW) group reported increased satisfaction with physical attributes, while men in the same group reported increased positive affect. These results suggest that mind–body interventions such as Tai Chi may have more psychological benefits than exercises without a cognitive component, demonstrating Tai Chi’s value in promoting mental health
Summary
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a highly prevalent mental illness in the United States [1]. Researchers found that 3 months of Tai Chi intervention can significantly reduce scores on the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and all of its subscales (including symptoms related to somatic, negative affect, interpersonal relations, and well-being) as compared to a waitlist control These decreased scores remained significant after controlling for age, gender, and education but not after controlling for social support changes, as measured by the Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS). In a follow-up study, Lavretsky et al [15] explored if SSRI (escitalopram) treatment supplemented with 10 weeks of Tai Chi, as compared to health education (HE), would enhance depression treatment in 73 older adults They found that patients in the Tai Chi-supplemented condition were more likely to 1) experience a greater improvement in depressive symptoms or achieve depression remission and 2) have greater improvements in C-reactive protein levels and the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey physical functioning and cognitive tests compared to the control group. They found that women in the Tai Chi group experienced decreased mood disturbance (tension, depression, anger, confusion, and total mood disturbance) and Frontiers in Psychiatry | www.frontiersin.org
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