Clinical trial NCT05081297: Qigong and Social Isolation: Mental Health Benefits
Official title: Qigong Effects on Mental Health of People Under Relative Isolation
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Mental Health Wellness 1
Keywords: Qigong
Mental health
social isolation
Traditional vegetative biofeedback therapy
Lead sponsor: Universidade do Porto
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2021-10-18
Enrollment: 64
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 16
Maximum age (years): 70
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: 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.

Detailed description: 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).

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

-

Exclusion Criteria:

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

Primary outcomes:
measure: Psychological Well-being (Mental health Inventory (MHI) dimension)
timeFrame: T0 - Baseline week 0
measure: Psychological Well-being (Mental health Inventory (MHI) dimension)
timeFrame: T1 - 8 weeks
measure: Psychological Distress (Mental health Inventory (MHI) dimension)
timeFrame: T0 - Baseline week 0
measure: Psychological Distress (Mental health Inventory (MHI) dimension)
timeFrame: T1 - 8 weeks
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Positive Affect (Mental health Inventory (MHI) dimension)
timeFrame: T0 - Baseline week 0
measure: Positive Affect (Mental health Inventory (MHI) dimension)
timeFrame: T1 - 8 weeks
measure: Emotional Ties (Mental health Inventory (MHI) dimension)
timeFrame: T0 - Baseline week 0
measure: Emotional Ties (Mental health Inventory (MHI) dimension)
timeFrame: T1 - 8 weeks
measure: Loss of emotional or behavioral control (Mental health Inventory (MHI) dimension)
timeFrame: T0 - Baseline week 0
measure: Loss of emotional or behavioral control (Mental health Inventory (MHI) dimension)
timeFrame: T1 - 8 weeks
measure: Anxiety (Mental health Inventory (MHI) dimension)
timeFrame: T0 - Baseline week 0
measure: Anxiety (Mental health Inventory (MHI) dimension)
timeFrame: T1 - 8 weeks
measure: Depression (Mental health Inventory (MHI) dimension)
timeFrame: T0 - Baseline week 0
measure: Depression (Mental health Inventory (MHI) dimension)
timeFrame: T1 - 8 weeks
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Maia
country: Portugal
facility: Instituto Português de Taichi e Chikung
state: Porto
Study officials:
affiliation: ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar
name: Jorge Machado, PhD
role: STUDY_DIRECTOR
affiliation: ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar
name: Lara Lopes, MSc
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar
name: Jorge M Rodrigues, BSc
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: