Effects of Qigong in patients with burnout: a randomized controlled trial.

Abstract

To evaluate the efficacy of Qigong in rehabilitation for patients with burnout. Prospective, randomized controlled trial. Eighty-two patients (68 women and 14 men, mean age 44.3 (standard deviation 9.1) years) diagnosed with burnout. Basic care was offered to both the intervention and the control group. Patients in the intervention group received basic care and, in addition, performed Qigong twice a week for 12 weeks. Psychological variables, health-related quality of life, perceived relaxation and physical measurements were assessed at baseline and after the intervention period. No significant difference in treatment efficacy between the groups was found by either intention-to-treat or per-protocol analyses. Both groups improved significantly over time, with reduced levels of burnout, fatigue, anxiety and depression, and increased dynamic balance and physical capacity. In this study, a Qigong intervention twice a week for 12 weeks had no additional effect beyond basic care for patients with burnout.