Effects of Baduanjin on mental health: A comprehensive review

Mental disorders affect not only individual well-being but also community health, which pushes mental care professionals to investigate various solutions to accommodate different needs. The exercise of Baduanjin, a form of Qigong, facilitates improvements in psychological health, potentially serving as an alternative choice for interventions. This comprehensive review analyses 28 publications, among which three are in English and 25 in Chinese, these indicating enhancement in quality of life and mental health for a variety of participants, including college students, middle-aged individuals, the elderly, and patients who suffer from different mental problems or chronic physical illnesses. The outcomes suggest that this costeffective, learner-friendly and self-pacing exercise should be promoted in individual and group settings for both curative and preventive measures, and for which further investigations are also recommended. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.