An RCT-reticulated meta-analysis of six MBE therapies affecting college students' negative psychology

The positive impact of mind-body movement therapy on mental health has been confirmed, but the current effect of various mind-body movement-specific therapies on improving the negative psychology of college students is controversial. This study compared the effects of six mind-body exercise (MBE) therapies on improving negative psychological symptoms in college students. The study found that Tai Chi (standardized mean difference [SMD] = −0.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] (−1.59, −0.15), p < 0.05), yoga (SMD = −0.95, 95% CI (−1.74, −0.15), p < 0.05), Yi Jin Jing (SMD = −1.15, 95% CI (−2.36, −0.05), p=<0.05), Five Animal Play (SMD = −1.1, 95% CI (−2.09, −0.02), p < 0.05), and Qigong Meditation (SMD = −1.31, 95% CI (−2.2, −0.4), p < 0.05) improved depressive symptoms in college students (p < 0.05). Tai Chi (SMD = −7.18, 95% CI (−13.18, −1.17), p = 0.019), yoga (SMD = −6.8, 95% CI (−11.79, −1.81), p = 0.008), and Yi Jin Jing (SMD = −9.21, 95% CI (−17.55, −0.87), p = 0.03) improved college students' anxiety symptoms. It shows that the six MBE therapies are effective in improving anxiety and depression in college students.