Tai Chi Alleviated Anxiety Symptoms In Insomniac Older Adults Comorbid With Anxiety And Depressive Symptoms

Anxiety is a common mental health issue among older adults, often comorbid with chronic insomnia and depression. The relationships among these issues are multidirectional. Therefore, interventions simultaneously targeting all three issues can aid in anxiety treatment. Tai Chi is a mind-body exercise that is deemed suitable for older adults due to its excellent safety profile. While its benefits on mood and sleep are well-documented, its effects on anxiety in older adults with all three issues have not been examined. PURPOSE: This three-arm, assessor-blinded randomized controlled trial examined the effects of Tai Chi on anxiety symptoms in older adults with anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and chronic insomnia, by comparing it to conventional exercise and a health education control. METHODS: A total of 180 older adults aged ≥60 years with anxiety and depression scores of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) both ≥7 and chronic insomnia were randomized into Tai Chi (n = 60, received 12-week, biweekly 90-minute Tai Chi training), conventional exercise (n = 60, received 12-week, biweekly 90-minute training comprising aerobic and muscle conditioning exercises), and health education control (n = 60, received 12-week, biweekly 90-minute education sessions focusing on sleep and mood topics) groups. Anxiety symptoms were assessed at baseline and after the intervention using the anxiety score of HADS. Data were analyzed using Generalized Estimating Equations with baseline covariate. Pairwise comparisons were performed using linear contrast. RESULTS: A significant group-by-time interaction was observed (P = 0.014). Pairwise comparisons revealed that Tai Chi induced a similar improvement in anxiety symptoms compared with conventional exercise (adjusted mean difference [95% CI]: -0.25 [-1.62, 1.11]), whereas both exercise interventions led to a larger improvement compared with the health education control (Tai Chi: -1.71 [-3.06, -0.37]; conventional exercise: -1.46 [-2.79, -0.13]). CONCLUSIONS: Tai Chi and conventional exercise are both effective in alleviating anxiety symptoms in older adults comorbid with all three health issues. Tai Chi can be an alternative exercise for older adults to manage anxiety symptoms. Supported by: Health and Medical Research Fund 17182461