Effect of Sun Tai Chi on the Cardiopulmonary System and Mental Health in University Students

Launched by UNIVERSIDAD CATÓLICA DEL MAULE · Jun 27, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is exploring whether practicing Sun Tai Chi—a gentle, flowing form of exercise—can improve both physical and mental health in university students. Many students today face challenges like stress, anxiety, and depression, along with low levels of physical activity. Tai Chi is known to be a safe and low-impact exercise that might help students feel better physically and mentally by encouraging a more active lifestyle.

To join this study, you need to be an undergraduate student between 18 and 29 years old who is experiencing mild to moderate symptoms of stress, anxiety, or depression, based on a simple questionnaire. Participants should be healthy enough to do Tai Chi and not already very active or have serious health conditions that would make exercise unsafe. Those who take part will attend Tai Chi classes, and researchers will look at how this affects their heart health, mental well-being, and overall experience. This study is not yet recruiting, but it aims to find a safe and effective way to support student health through this traditional exercise.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Undergraduate university students
• • Aged 18 to 29 years
• • Both sexes
• • Present mental health symptoms assessed by the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales - 21 Items (DASS-21) questionnaire, according to cutoff points established by Lovibond et al., ranging from mild to severe in any of the subscales of stress (score 15 to 33), anxiety (score 8 to 19), or depression (score 10 to 27).
• • Report a healthy physical condition suitable for Tai Chi practice (self-reported).
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Engage in a high level of physical activity according to the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) or have regularly practiced moderate to high intensity physical activity in the last 3 months.
• • Report chronic illnesses that limit or contraindicate the practice of exercises required in Tai Chi.
• • Present cardiovascular, pulmonary, or neurological diseases.
• • Exhibit either no mental health impairment or severe impairment according to cutoff scores established by Lovibond et al. in the DASS-21 questionnaire (stress subscale score equal to or greater than 14 or equal to or less than 37, anxiety subscale score equal to or greater than 7 or equal to or less than 20, depression subscale score equal to or greater than 9 or equal to or less than 28).
• • Present specific psychiatric diagnoses, such as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), self-reported during the initial telephone interview.
• • Consume medications for mental health treatment.
• • Consume medications or substances that influence cardiac autonomic modulation (e.g., beta-blockers).