Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of Qigong in rehabilitation for patients with burnout.
Design: Prospective, randomized controlled trial.
Subjects: Eighty-two patients (68 women and 14 men, mean age 44.3 (standard deviation 9.1) years) diagnosed with burnout.
Methods: 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.
Results: 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.
Conclusion: In this study, a Qigong intervention twice a week for 12 weeks had no additional effect beyond basic care for patients with burnout.