scholarly journals The Effects of Qigong on Anxiety, Depression, and Psychological Well-Being: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fang Wang ◽  
Jenny K. M. Man ◽  
Eun-Kyoung Othelia Lee ◽  
Taixiang Wu ◽  
Herbert Benson ◽  
...  

Introduction. The effect of Qigong on psychological well-being is relatively unknown. This study systematically reviewed the effects of Qigong on anxiety, depression, and psychological well-being.Methods. Using fifteen studies published between 2001 and 2011, a systematic review was carried out and meta-analyses were performed on studies with appropriate homogeneity. The quality of the outcome measures was also assessed.Results. We categorized these studies into three groups based on the type of subjects involved as follows: (1) healthy subjects, (2) subjects with chronic illnesses, and (3) subjects with depression. Based on the heterogeneity assessment of available studies, meta-analyses were conducted in three studies of patients with type II diabetes in the second group, which suggested that Qigong was effective in reducing depression (ES=−0.29; 95% CI, −0.58–0.00) and anxiety (ES=−0.37; 95% CI, −0.66–0.08), as measured by Symptom Checklist 90, and in improving psychological well-being (ES=−0.58; 95% CI, −0.91–0.25) as measured by Diabetes Specific Quality of Life Scale. Overall, the quality of research methodology of existing studies was poor.Conclusions. Preliminary evidence suggests that Gigong may have positive effects on psychological well-being among patients with chronic illnesses. However the published studies generally had significant methodological limitations. More high-quality studies are needed.

2021 ◽  
pp. 003435522110432
Author(s):  
Areum Han

Objective: Mindfulness- and acceptance-based intervention (MABI) is an emerging evidenced-based practice, but no systematic review incorporating meta-analyses for MABIs in stroke survivors has been conducted. The objective of this systematic review was to measure the effectiveness of MABIs on outcomes in people with stroke. Method: Three electronic databases, including PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycINFO, were searched to identify relevant studies published in peer-reviewed journals. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed. Data were extracted and combined in a meta-analysis with a random-effect model to compute the size of the intervention effect. Results: A total of 11 studies met the eligibility criteria. Meta-analyses found a small-to-moderate effect of MABIs on depressive symptoms (standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.39, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.12, 0.66]) and a large effect on mental fatigue (SMD = 1.22, 95% CI = [0.57, 1.87]). No statistically significant effect of MABIs on anxiety, quality of life, and mindfulness was found, but there was a trend in favor of MABIs overall. Conclusions: This meta-analysis found positive effects of MABIs on depressive symptoms and mental fatigue in stroke survivors, but future high-quality studies are needed to guarantee treatment effects of MABIs on varied outcomes in stroke survivors.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Corrigan ◽  
Patrick Moran ◽  
Niamh McGrath ◽  
Jessica Eustace-Cook ◽  
Deirdre Daly

Abstract Background: Yoga is a popular mind-body medicine frequently recommended and to pregnant women. Gaps remain in our understanding of core components of effective pregnancy yoga programmes. This review and meta-analysis examined the characteristics and effectiveness of pregnancy yoga, incorporating the FITT (frequency, intensity, time/duration and type) principle of exercise prescription in the analysis. Methods: The following electronic databases were searched: MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, CINAHL, WHOLiS, AMED, ScieLo, ASSIA and Web of Science. Randomised control trials and quasi-experimental studies examining pregnancy yoga interventions were eligible for inclusion. Covidence was used to screen titles, abstracts, and full text articles. Outcomes of interest were stress, anxiety, depression, quality of life, labour duration, pain management in labour and mode of birth. The Cochrane Collaboration’s Risk of Bias Assessment tool was used to assess methodological quality of studies and GRADE criteria (Gradepro) evaluated quality of the evidence. Meta-analysis was performed using Revman 5.3. Results: 678 citations were retrieved, 24 studies met inclusion criteria. 22 studies with 1826 pregnant women were included for meta-analysis. Applying per-protocol analysis and a random effects model, the pooled standardised mean difference (SMD) for depression (-0.53; 95% CI: -1.04 to -0.02, P=0.04), anxiety (-0.82; 95% CI: -1.64 to -0.01; p=0.05), perceived stress (-1.03; 95% CI: -1.55 to -0.52; p<0.0001) and physiological stress (-0.24; 95% CI: -0.52 to 0.04, P=0.09) supported a statistically significant beneficial effect of pregnancy yoga interventions for anxiety, depression and perceived stress. Duration of labour was shorter (MD= -116.96; 95% CI -163.36 to -70.56, P<0.00001) and normal vaginal birth rates were higher in the yoga group (OR 2.72; 95% CI 1.26-5.90, p=0.01). The quality of evidence (GRADE) was low to very low for all factors. Twelve or more yoga sessions delivered weekly/bi-weekly had a statistically significant impact on mode of birth, while twelve or more yoga sessions of long duration (>60mins) had a statistically significant impact on perceived stress. Yoga sessions had a statistically significant impact on anxiety while yoga therapy had a statistically significant impact on depressionConclusion: The evidence supports previously cited positive effects of pregnancy yoga on anxiety, depression, perceived stress, normal vaginal birth and shorter duration of labour. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO, CRD42019119916. Registered on 11th January 2019.Protocol publication: Corrigan L, Eustace-Cook J, Moran P and Daly D. The effectiveness and characteristics of pregnancy yoga interventions: a systematic review protocol [version 2; peer review: 2 approved]. HRB Open Res 2020, 2:33 (https://doi.org/10.12688/hrbopenres.12967.2)


2021 ◽  
pp. bmjspcare-2021-002936
Author(s):  
Zahra Hoseinipalangi ◽  
Zahra Golmohammadi ◽  
Sima Rafiei ◽  
Fatemeh Pashazadeh Kan ◽  
Hossein Hosseinifard ◽  
...  

Background and aimSigns and symptoms of schizophrenia may have serious impacts on patients’ quality of life leading to concern about different aspects of their lives. This study presents a systematic review and meta-analysis of the studies examining the quality of life among patients with schizophrenia and its relationship with patients’ characteristics.Materials and methodsA total of 40 studies were extracted from searching of relevant databases published between 2000 and 2020. Descriptive data and correlation coefficients between patient’s characteristics and quality of life were extracted and the results were reported according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses standards and meta-analysis of pooled studies.ResultsIn total, 8363 patients with schizophrenia participated in 40 studies which used Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale revision 4. The total score of quality of life (QOL) in the study subjects was reported to be 40.66. Weighted effect size analyses revealed a significant relationship between QOL and variables including patients’ age and duration of the disease. Furthermore, the highest (the worst) score of QOL in schizophrenia patients was observed in Europe 47.04 (95% CI 41.26 to 52.82) and the Euro region 47.05 (95% CI 41.18 to 52.92).ConclusionOverall, the QOL among patients with schizophrenia was in a good status, which could be improved through considering different life aspects of people living in various contexts. In fact, clarifying the determinants of QOL would be a key step in the provision of future treatment efforts.


2021 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 233121652199956
Author(s):  
Ibrahim Almufarrij ◽  
Harvey Dillon ◽  
Kevin J. Munro

This systematic review, the first on this topic, aimed to investigate if probe-tube verification of real-ear hearing aid amplification characteristics improves outcomes in adults. The review was preregistered in the Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews and performed in accordance with the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. After assessing more than 1,420 records from seven databases, six experimental studies (published between 2012 and 2019) met the inclusion criteria; five were included in the meta-analyses. The primary outcome of interest (hearing-specific, health-related quality of life) was not reported in any study. There were moderate and statistically significant positive effects of probe-tube real-ear measurement (REM), compared with the manufacturer’s initial fit, on speech intelligibility in quiet settings (standardized mean difference [SMD]: 0.59) and user’s final preference (proportion difference: 52.2%). There were small but statistically significant positive effects of REM on self-reported listening abilities (SMD: 0.22) and speech intelligibility in noise (SMD: 0.15). The quality of evidence for these outcomes ranged from high to very low. The findings show that REMs improve outcomes statistically, but this is based on a small number of studies and a limited number of participants. It is currently unclear if the benefits are of material importance because minimum clinically important differences have not been established for most of the outcomes. Ultimately, there needs to be a cost-effectiveness analysis to show that statistically significant benefits, which exceed the minimum clinically important difference, are worth the cost involved.


2021 ◽  
pp. 026921632199472
Author(s):  
Natalia Salamanca-Balen ◽  
Thomas V Merluzzi ◽  
Man Chen

Background: The concept of hope is an important theme in chronic illness and palliative care and has been associated with increased psycho-spiritual well-being and quality of life. Psycho-spiritual interventions have been described in this population, but no systematic review of hope-enhancing interventions or hopelessness-reducing interventions has been conducted for persons with palliative care diseases. Aim: To describe and assess the effectiveness of interventions in palliative care that measure hope and/or hopelessness as an outcome. Design: This systematic review and meta-analysis was pre-registered (Prospero ID: CRD42019119956). Data sources: Electronic databases, journals, and references were searched. We used the Cochrane criteria to assess the risk of bias within studies. Results: Thirty-five studies (24 randomized controlled trials, 5 quasi-experimental, 6 pre-post studies) involving a total of 3296 palliative care patients were included. Compared with usual/standard cancer care alone, interventions significantly increased hope levels at a medium effect size ( g = 0.61, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.28–0.93) but did not significantly reduce hopelessness ( g = −0.08, 95% CI = −0.18 to 0.02). It was found that interventions significantly increase spirituality ( g = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.02–1.37) and decrease depression ( g = −0.29, 95% CI = −0.51 to −0.07), but had no significant effect over anxiety, quality of life, and symptom burden. Overall, quality of evidence across the included studies was rated as low. Conclusions: Evidence suggests that interventions can be effective in increasing hope in palliative care patients.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Oberndorfer ◽  
I Grabovac ◽  
S Haider ◽  
T E Dorner

Abstract Background Reports of the effectiveness of e-cigarettes (ECs) for smoking cessation vary across different studies making implementation recommendations hard to attain. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to synthesise the current evidence regarding the effectiveness of ECs for smoking cessation. Methods PubMed, PsycInfo and Embase databases were searched for randomized controlled trials comparing nicotine ECs with non-nicotine ECs or with established smoking cessation interventions (nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and or counselling) published between 01/01/2014 and 01/05/2019. Data from eligible studies were extracted and used for random-effects meta-analyses. Results Our literature review yielded 13190 publications with 10 studies being identified as eligible for systematic review, covering 8362 participants, and 8 for meta-analyses (n = 30 - 6006). Using the last follow-up of eligible studies, the proportion of smokers achieving abstinence was 1.67 [95CI:0.99 - 2.81] times higher in nicotine EC users compared to non-nicotine EC users. The proportion of abstinent smokers was 1.69 [95CI:1.25 - 2.27] times higher in EC users compared to participants receiving NRT. EC users showed a 2.70 [95CI:1.15 - 6.30] times higher proportion of abstinent smokers in comparison to participants solely receiving counselling. Conclusions Our analysis showed modest effects of nicotine-ECs compared to non-nicotine ECs. When compared to NRT or counselling, results suggest that nicotine EC may be more effective for smoking cessation. As ECs also help maintaining routinized behaviour and social aspects of smoking, we hypothesise that this may explain their advantage as a tool for smoking cessation. However, given the small number of included studies, different populations, heterogeneous designs, and the overall moderate to low quality of evidence, it is not possible to offer clear recommendations. More comparable data is needed to strengthen confidence in the quality of evidence. Key messages The number of previous studies assessing the effectiveness of ECs for smoking cessation is limited. Further, comparability of these studies is restricted, weakening the quality of evidence. Although current evidence on the effectiveness of ECs for smoking cessation is inconclusive, our meta-analyses suggest that ECs could be a promising alternative tool in attempts to achieve abstinence.


2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 605-617 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fang Wang ◽  
Eun-Kyoung Othelia Lee ◽  
Taixiang Wu ◽  
Herbert Benson ◽  
Gregory Fricchione ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alaa Abd-alrazaq ◽  
Dari Alhuwail ◽  
Eiman Al-Jafar ◽  
Arfan Ahmed ◽  
Shuja Mohd Reagu ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Memory, one of the main cognitive functions, is known to decline by age. Serious games have been used for improving memory among the elderly. The effectiveness of serious games in improving memory has been investigated by several systematic reviews; however, they are limited by design and methodological weaknesses. OBJECTIVE This study aims to assess the effectiveness of serious games in improving memory among the elderly with cognitive impairment. METHODS A systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was carried out. The search sources included searching 8 databases, screening reference lists of the included studies and relevant reviews, and checking studies that cited the included studies. Two reviewers independently carried out the study selection, data extraction, risk of bias assessment, and quality of evidence appraisal. Extracted data were synthesized using a narrative approach and a statistical approach (i.e., meta-analysis), as appropriate. RESULTS Out of 466 citations retrieved, 18 studies met the eligibility criteria of this review. Of those, 15 RCTs were eventually included in 10 meta-analyses. We found that serious games are more effective than no or passive interventions in improving non-verbal memory (P=0.002) and working memory (P=0.02), but not verbal memory (P=0.13). The review also showed that serious games are more effective than conventional exercises in improving verbal memory (P=0.004), but not for non-verbal memory (P=0.12) and working memory (P=0.49). Serious games were as effective as conventional cognitive activities in improving verbal memory (P=0.07), non-verbal memory (P=0.94), and working memory (P=0.08) among the elderly with cognitive impairment. Lastly, the effect of adaptive serious games on working memory was comparable to non-adaptive serious games (P=0.08). CONCLUSIONS Serious games have the potential to improve verbal, non-verbal, and working memory among elderly people with cognitive impairment. However, our findings should be interpreted cautiously given that most meta-analyses were based on a few studies (≤3) and judged to have a low quality of evidence. Therefore, serious games should be offered as supplemental to existing proven and safe interventions, rather than a complete substitute until further, more robust evidence is available. Future studies should investigate the short and long-term effects of serious games on memory and other cognitive abilities among people from different age groups with or without cognitive impairment.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caio Fábio Schlechta Portella ◽  
Ricardo Ghelman ◽  
Veronica Abdala ◽  
Mariana Cabral Schveitzer ◽  
Rui Ferreira Afonso

Study Basis: This evidence map presents a summary of studies that addressed the effects of meditation on various clinical and health conditions. Meditation is a contemplative practice that has been used for the promotion of health, and the treatment of different conditions.Method: The study is based on the search of four electronic databases for the period 1994-November 2019 and includes systematic reviews, meta-analyses, meta-syntheses, and integrative reviews. 3iE evidence gap map was the methodology of choice, and AMSTAR 2 was used for the analyses. Tableau was used to graphically display the confidence level, number of reviews, health outcomes, and intervention effects.Results: This map encompasses 191 studies, with Mindfulness being the key word that retrieved the highest number of results. Several meditation techniques were evaluated in different contexts, and the confidence levels of 22 studies were high, 84 were moderate, and 82 were low. Two 2 meta-syntheses and 1 integrative review were also included. Most of the studies reported positive effects and a beneficial potential of the practice of meditation. Health outcomes were divided into five groups out of which mental health and vitality, and well-being and quality of life stood out with the largest number of studies.Conclusions: Meditation has been applied in different areas. This Evidence Map intends to be an easy visual tool to access valuable evidence-based information on this complementary therapy for patients, health professionals, and managers.


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