Int J Behav Med. 2014 Aug;21(4):605-17. doi: 10.1007/s12529-013-9351-9.
Tai chi, also called taiji or tai chi chuan, is a form of mind-body exercise that originated from China. It combines Chinese martial arts and meditative movements that promote balance and healing of the mind and body, involving a series of slowly performed, dance-like postures that flow into one another. As it comprises mental concentration, physical balance, muscle relaxation, and relaxed breathing, tai chi shows great potential for becoming widely integrated into the prevention and rehabilitation of a number of medical and psychological conditions.
A growing body of clinical research has begun to evaluate the efficacy of tai chi as a therapy for a variety of health issues. A systematic review and meta-analysis were carried out on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental (Q-E) trials that studied the effects of tai chi on psychological well-being.
Drawn from English and Chinese databases, 37 RCTs and 5 Q-E studies published up to May 31, 2013 were included in the systematic review. The methodological quality of the RCTs was evaluated based on the following criteria: adequate sequence generation, allocation concealment, blinding, completeness of outcome data, selective reporting, and other potential biases. Statistical analyses were performed using Review Manager version 5.0.
The studies in this review demonstrated that tai chi interventions have beneficial effects for various populations on a range of psychological well-being measures, including depression, anxiety, general stress management, and exercise self-efficacy. Meta-analysis was performed on three RCTs that used depression as an outcome measure (ES=-5.97; 95% CI -7.06 to -4.87), with I2=0%.
In spite of the positive outcomes, the studies to date generally had significant methodological limitations. More RCTs with rigorous research design are needed to establish the efficacy of tai chi in improving psychological well-being and its potential to be used in interventions for populations with various clinical conditions.
太极拳，也被称为太极或 Tai Chi 拳，是一种起源于中国的身心锻炼形式。它融合了中国武术和冥想动作，促进身心的平衡和疗愈，包括一系列缓慢进行、类似舞蹈的姿势，它们相互流畅地流动。由于它包括精神集中、身体平衡、肌肉放松和放松呼吸，太极拳显示出广泛融入多种医疗和心理状况的预防和康复的巨大潜力。
越来越多的临床研究开始评估太极拳作为治疗各种健康问题的疗效。对研究太极拳对心理健康影响的随机对照试验（RCT）和准实验（Q-E）试验进行了系统评价和荟萃分析。
从英文和中文数据库中，纳入了截至 2013 年 5 月 31 日发表的 37 项 RCT 和 5 项 Q-E 研究。根据以下标准评估 RCT 的方法学质量：充分的序列生成、分配隐藏、盲法、结局数据的完整性、选择性报告和其他潜在偏倚。使用 Review Manager 版本 5.0 进行统计分析。
本综述中的研究表明，太极拳干预对各种人群在一系列心理健康衡量标准上都有有益的影响，包括抑郁、焦虑、一般压力管理和锻炼自我效能。对三项以抑郁为结局测量的 RCT 进行了荟萃分析（ES=-5.97；95%CI-7.06 至-4.87），I2=0%。
尽管结果积极，但迄今为止的研究通常存在显著的方法学局限性。需要更多具有严格研究设计的 RCT 来确定太极拳在改善心理健康方面的疗效及其用于各种临床状况人群干预的潜力。
