Tai Chi Intervention for Chinese Americans With Depression

NCT ID: NCT01619631

Last Updated: 2016-12-01

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

94 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2012-02-29

Study Completion Date

2016-11-30

Brief Summary

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The purpose of this study is to conduct a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) that provides the feasibility, safety, and preliminary efficacy data required to design a large scale trial evaluating Tai Chi for Chinese Americans with major depressive disorder (MDD) who are not on antidepressant medications.

Detailed Description

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Aim #1: To evaluate the feasibility and safety of conducting a RCT of Tai Chi for Chinese American adults with MDD who are not on antidepressant medications. The investigators hypothesize that: a) the investigators can develop a Tai Chi intervention and depression-related measurement protocol for Chinese Americans with MDD; b) the investigators will be able to recruit non-pharmacologically treated Chinese Americans with MDD to participate in a randomized controlled Tai Chi study; c) participants will be compliant with the Tai Chi intervention and all testing protocols; d) the Tai Chi intervention will be safe and study staff will be able to effectively monitor participants' depressive symptoms and assure their safety during the study.

Aim #2: To collect preliminary data on the efficacy of a 12-week Tai Chi group intervention for Chinese Americans with MDD who are not on antidepressant medications to determine the effect size needed for a definitive RCT. The investigators hypothesize that at the conclusion of 12-weeks, Tai Chi participants, as compared to control subjects, will demonstrate a) greater improvement in depressive symptoms (Hamilton Depression Severity Index-17, Beck Depression Inventory), b) greater improvement in functional status, general health, and well being (Clinical Global Impressions Scale, The SF-36 Health Survey (SF-36®) for social functioning, Exercise Self-Efficacy, Mindfulness), and c) greater social support (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support).

Aim #3: To characterize participants' experience in a trial of Tai Chi for Chinese Americans with MDD in order to optimally design a subsequent, more definitive study. Using mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative analyses), the investigators will identify the ethnocultural experience of Tai Chi among Chinese Americans with MDD, assess whether they view Tai Chi a more culturally acceptable alternative to conventional antidepressant therapy, explore the facilitators and barriers to adherence to the Tai Chi training protocol, identify characteristics of responders and non-responders to the Tai Chi intervention, and assess participants' willingness/intention to continue practice of Tai Chi beyond the study period. The investigators hypothesize that a) characteristics such as severity of illness, age, co-morbidities, and education level may distinguish responders from non-responders; b) participants with greater levels of class attendance and home practice will exhibit greater improvements in depressive symptoms; and c) participants who continue to practice Tai Chi after the 12-week training will maintain clinical improvements in depressive symptoms and a lower rate of relapse at the end of 3 additional months of follow-up compared to those who do not continue Tai Chi practice.

Conditions

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Depression

Keywords

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Depression Tai Chi Alternative medicine Mind body medicine

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Investigators

Study Groups

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12-week Tai Chi intervention

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

12-week Tai Chi intervention

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Tai Chi classes will be conducted weekly for one hour each for 12 weeks. Classes will begin with warm-up exercises designed to loosen the body, increase awareness of alignment and structural integration, improve efficiency of breathing, incorporate mindfulness and imagery into movement.

Education control group

After 24 weeks, and upon completion of the study, each participant will be offered twelve weeks of Tai Chi twice weekly.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Education control group

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The education control group will meet twice weekly for 12 weeks for one hour, and research staff will present didactic information modified from psychoeducation curriculums created by the Benson Henry Institute and a stress reduction study for depressed minority patients.

Waitlist control group

The waitlist control will not receive any intervention during the duration of the study. After 24 weeks, and upon completion of the study, each participant will be offered twelve weeks of Tai Chi twice weekly.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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12-week Tai Chi intervention

Tai Chi classes will be conducted weekly for one hour each for 12 weeks. Classes will begin with warm-up exercises designed to loosen the body, increase awareness of alignment and structural integration, improve efficiency of breathing, incorporate mindfulness and imagery into movement.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Education control group

The education control group will meet twice weekly for 12 weeks for one hour, and research staff will present didactic information modified from psychoeducation curriculums created by the Benson Henry Institute and a stress reduction study for depressed minority patients.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Self-identified as being of Chinese ethnicity and fluent in Mandarin and/or Cantonese
* 18-80 years of age
* Satisfy DSM-IV criteria for MDD
* Baseline score of 14-20 on the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D-17)
* No regular (≥ 3 times/week for ≥ 2 months) Tai Chi training/practice or other forms of mind-body intervention in the past 6 months

Exclusion Criteria

* Primary psychiatric diagnosis other than MDD
* History of psychosis, mania, or severe cluster B personality disorder, active ETOH or substance abuse/dependency disorder in the past 6 months
* Unstable medical conditions as judged by investigators
* Use or plan to use confounding treatments, including antidepressants and CAM treatments thought to have beneficial effects on mood, such as St. John's Wort, S-Adenosyl methionine (SAMe), omega-3 fatty acids, light therapy, conventional psychotherapy, mind-body interventions (e.g. Qigong, mindfulness training, muscle relaxation training, etc.)
* Current active suicidal or self-injurious potential necessitating immediate treatment
* Women who are pregnant
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

80 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Massachusetts General Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)

NIH

Sponsor Role collaborator

Responsible Party

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Albert Yeung

Research Psychiatrist

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Albert Yeung, MD, ScD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Massachusetts General Hospital Depression Clinical and Research Program

Locations

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South Cove Community Health Center

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Site Status

Massachusetts General Hospital Depression Clinical and Research Program

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

References

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Short KH, Johnston C. Stress, maternal distress, and children's adjustment following immigration: the buffering role of social support. J Consult Clin Psychol. 1997 Jun;65(3):494-503. doi: 10.1037//0022-006x.65.3.494.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 9170773 (View on PubMed)

Taylor-Piliae RE, Froelicher ES. Measurement properties of Tai Chi exercise self-efficacy among ethnic Chinese with coronary heart disease risk factors: a pilot study. Eur J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2004 Dec;3(4):287-94. doi: 10.1016/j.ejcnurse.2004.09.001.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 15572017 (View on PubMed)

Zhang J, Norvilitis JM. Measuring Chinese psychological well-being with Western developed instruments. J Pers Assess. 2002 Dec;79(3):492-511. doi: 10.1207/S15327752JPA7903_06.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 12511017 (View on PubMed)

Yeung AS, Feng R, Kim DJH, Wayne PM, Yeh GY, Baer L, Lee OE, Denninger JW, Benson H, Fricchione GL, Alpert J, Fava M. A Pilot, Randomized Controlled Study of Tai Chi With Passive and Active Controls in the Treatment of Depressed Chinese Americans. J Clin Psychiatry. 2017 May;78(5):e522-e528. doi: 10.4088/JCP.16m10772.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 28570792 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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R21AT006123-01A1

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

2011P001313

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id