Acupuncture Times Your guide to acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and TCM — explore acupoints, herbs and formulas, plus the latest acupuncture research news.
Related Articles
Depression is a common and difficult-to-treat condition in older adults, and standard medications do not always produce satisfactory results. Mind-body exercises such as Tai Chi, Qigong, and Yoga have attracted interest as non-pharmacological options, but individual research reviews have produced inconsistent findings. This umbrella review aimed to synthesise the broader body of evidence by pooling data from existing systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
Researchers searched four major databases up to August 2025, ultimately including 25 reviews covering more than 20,000 participants aged 60 and over. Statistical pooling using a random-effects model produced a moderate overall reduction in depressive symptoms across all mind-body exercises examined. When the three exercise types were analysed separately, Qigong showed the largest effect, followed by Yoga, with Tai Chi showing a somewhat smaller but still directionally positive result.
The authors urge caution in interpreting these findings. There was very high variability between studies, and tests for publication bias suggested that some negative or null studies may be missing from the literature. When the analysis was restricted to the highest-quality reviews only, the effect estimate was actually stronger and more consistent, which is somewhat reassuring. Overall, the evidence is rated as moderate certainty and is best understood as pointing in a promising direction rather than confirming definitive treatment effects.
Conclusion: This umbrella review suggests that mind-body exercises, including Tai Chi, are associated with meaningful reductions in depressive symptoms in older adults, but the evidence base requires higher-quality primary research before firm clinical recommendations can be made.
Source: Li F, Li Q, Huang J and colleagues. Frontiers in psychology (2026). View on PubMed (PMID 42183540) · doi:10.1136/thoraxjnl-2021-218030
