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Completed

NCT Number: NCT05081297

Qigong and Social Isolation: Mental Health Benefits

The objective of the study is to understand if Qigong may be useful in controlling the psychological state of participants in relative social isolation (during Covid-19 governmental imposed isolation procedures) The sessions are conducted live by the internet by a professional instructor-therapist with the duration of 2 months and a regular minimum of 2 sessions a week.

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Key information

Conditions

Mental Health Wellness 1 Behavior Personal Satisfaction Psychological Well-Being Social Behavior Social Isolation

Age range

16 year–70 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Instituto Português de Taichi e Chikung

Maia, Porto District, 4470-765, Portugal

About this study

The study's objective is to understand if Qigong may be helpful on the psychological state control of the participants in a relative state of isolation imposed by the government on the fight against Covid-19.

Data is gathered via the Mental Health Inventory (MHI) adapted to the Portuguese population to assess quantitative mental health scores and a simple structured interview to assess qualitative mental health benefits of Chikung (Qigong).

Qigong was the chosen technique to be studied as an intervention. Qigong is a Traditional Chinese Medicine therapeutic tool that has been studied for its several health benefits. As a traditional vegetative biofeedback therapy, Qigong can be useful for the maintenance of mental health of people with several conditions such as anxiety and depression, autism spectrum disorder and even conditions related to behavioral control.

  • Group 1 was composed of Qigong practitioners (for at least 3 months).
  • Group 2 was composed of participants who would receive the Qigong intervention (never practiced Qigong).
  • Group 3 was composed of control participants (who would not receive the intervention).

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

-

Exclusion criteria

  • Physical or mental disabilities or conditions that may aggravate when performing semi-supervised physical activity

Treatment and study plan

Qigong

Other

Qigong as a traditional chinese medicine technique, composed of several types of exercises: Baduanjin, taijiquan, yijinjing, baojiangong.

Other names: Traditional vegetative biofeedback therapy, Chikung, Taichi

Primary outcomes

  1. Psychological Well-being (Mental health Inventory (MHI) dimension)

    Time frame: T0 - Baseline week 0

    A higher score means a higher Psychological Well-being (0-100 score)

  2. Psychological Well-being (Mental health Inventory (MHI) dimension)

    Time frame: T1 - 8 weeks

    A higher score means a higher Psychological Well-being (0-100 score)

  3. Psychological Distress (Mental health Inventory (MHI) dimension)

    Time frame: T0 - Baseline week 0

    A higher score means a higher Psychological Distress (0-100 score)

  4. Psychological Distress (Mental health Inventory (MHI) dimension)

    Time frame: T1 - 8 weeks

    A higher score means a higher Psychological Distress (0-100 score)

Secondary outcomes

  1. Positive Affect (Mental health Inventory (MHI) dimension)

    Time frame: T0 - Baseline week 0

    A higher score means a higher Positive Affect (0-100 score)

  2. Positive Affect (Mental health Inventory (MHI) dimension)

    Time frame: T1 - 8 weeks

    A higher score means a higher Positive Affect (0-100 score)

  3. Emotional Ties (Mental health Inventory (MHI) dimension)

    Time frame: T0 - Baseline week 0

    A higher score means higher Emotional Ties (0-100 score)

  4. Emotional Ties (Mental health Inventory (MHI) dimension)

    Time frame: T1 - 8 weeks

    A higher score means higher Emotional Ties (0-100 score)

  5. Loss of emotional or behavioral control (Mental health Inventory (MHI) dimension)

    Time frame: T0 - Baseline week 0

    A higher score means a higher Loss of emotional or behavioral control (0-100 score)

  6. Loss of emotional or behavioral control (Mental health Inventory (MHI) dimension)

    Time frame: T1 - 8 weeks

    A higher score means a higher Loss of emotional or behavioral control (0-100 score)

  7. Anxiety (Mental health Inventory (MHI) dimension)

    Time frame: T0 - Baseline week 0

    A higher score means higher Anxiety levels (0-100 score)

  8. Anxiety (Mental health Inventory (MHI) dimension)

    Time frame: T1 - 8 weeks

    A higher score means higher Anxiety levels (0-100 score)

  9. Depression (Mental health Inventory (MHI) dimension)

    Time frame: T0 - Baseline week 0

    A higher score means higher Depression levels (0-100 score)

  10. Depression (Mental health Inventory (MHI) dimension)

    Time frame: T1 - 8 weeks

    A higher score means higher Depression levels (0-100 score)

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Universidade do Porto

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Qigong Effects on Mental Health of People Under Relative Isolation

Important dates

Study start
2020
Primary completion
2020
Study completion
2020
First posted
Oct 18, 2021
Registry last updated
Feb 11, 2022

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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