Tai Chi Improves Symptoms of Depression

Over 2 million people ages 65-plus are affected by depression, and an estimated two-thirds of elderly patients treated for depression fail to achieve adequate symptom management with conventional drug therapy.   Helen Lavretsky, from the University of California/Los Angeles (UCLA; California, USA), and colleagues investigated the role of Tai Chi, a Chinese wellness practice that has been previously associated with a variety of physical and mental health benefits, in ameleriorating the symptoms of depression in seniors.  The team combined a weekly tai chi exercise class with a standard depression treatment for a group of depressed elderly adults, finding a greater improvement in the level of depression — along with improved quality of life, better memory and cognition, and more overall energy — than that achieved by a different group in which the standard treatment was paired with a weekly health education class. The researchers conclude that: “Complementary use of a mind-body exercise, such as [Tai Chi],  may provide additional improvements of clinical outcomes in the pharmacologic treatment of geriatric depression.”