Qigong for anxiety and stress: what studies show and what they don't
Small, often weak trials report lower stress and anxiety scores with qigong than on a waitlist, mostly in healthy adults.[1] Against active comparisons, a 2024 review found no clear difference.[2] Anxiety disorders and depression need professional care, and qigong doesn't replace it.
Updated: November 2026
What did the studies look at?
Stress and anxiety overlap, but they aren't the same. The National Institute of Mental Health describes stress as a response to an outside cause, such as an argument, and anxiety as the body's reaction that can persist with no current threat.[3]
Qigong combines slow movement, breathing and focused attention. Trials usually measure its results by questionnaire, often the Perceived Stress Scale.[2] An effect size puts different questionnaires on one scale: the further from zero, the bigger the gap between groups. A network analysis compares several treatments at once.
| Study | Who | Compared with | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 review, 7 trials | 398 healthy adults | Mostly a waitlist | Effect size 0.88 for stress, 0.75 for anxiety after 1 to 3 months.[1] |
| 2024 review, 9 trials | About 800 people with stress | Nothing or other treatments | Against nothing, 0.60 (2 trials). Against active treatments, no clear difference (3 trials).[2] |
| 2026 network analysis, 45 trials | 2,643 people with anxiety symptoms, 231 of them in tai chi or qigong | Control groups | Effect size 0.52 for tai chi and qigong, low confidence.[4] |
| 2024 network analysis, 218 trials | 14,170 people with depression, 343 of them in tai chi or qigong | Active controls | Effect size 0.42 for tai chi and qigong, very low confidence.[5] |
A waitlist group gets nothing at first. Beating a waitlist tells you little about how qigong stacks up against another treatment.
What do the studies not show?
- A fair comparison. Qigong groups got a teacher and company, and waitlist groups got neither. The 2014 authors say a placebo effect may have played a part.[1]
- Solid methods. In the 2014 review, only 2 of 7 trials used an adequate method of randomizing people, and none blinded the people assessing results.[1] In the 2024 review, only 1 of 9 trials rated as high quality, and the authors found it hard to draw specific conclusions.[2]
- What happens under heavy stress. Most of the 2014 trials did not select people by their stress or anxiety level.[1]
- How long any change lasts. In the 2014 review, just one trial reported an effect still present 4 weeks later.[1]
The 2014 authors themselves call for better-designed trials before qigong is recommended as an option.[1] Only one of the nine trials in the 2024 review was run in the United States.[2]
Can qigong help with an anxiety disorder or depression?
The data can't answer that yet. The 2026 analysis mixes people with a clinical diagnosis and people who only scored above a questionnaire cutoff, and it counts tai chi and qigong as one group.[4] It rates the credibility of its results as low overall.[4]
The 2024 depression analysis in the BMJ rests on 343 people for tai chi and qigong.[5] Only one of its 218 trials had a low risk of bias overall.[5]
NCCIH, the federal center for complementary health, says some studies suggest qigong may reduce anxiety but that larger, better trials are needed.[6]
How does qigong compare with what doctors usually recommend?
Anxiety disorders are generally treated with psychotherapy, medication or both, and NCCIH calls cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) an established first-line treatment for generalized anxiety disorder.[6] In CBT, you work with a therapist on the thoughts and habits that keep anxiety going.
Head-to-head trials are rare. The 2024 review holds exactly one trial against CBT: 80 young adults, about 20 years old on average, over 9 weeks, with better stress scores in the qigong group.[2] One trial in that age group isn't enough to base a recommendation on.
Other exercise holds up well. For depression, walking or jogging scored 0.62, yoga 0.55 and strength training 0.49, with tai chi and qigong at 0.42.[5] For anxiety, yoga scored 0.59, tai chi and qigong 0.52, and walking or jogging 0.39.[4] These numbers carry wide uncertainty, so they don't settle a ranking.
When should you get professional help?
Qigong doesn't replace medical treatment, and new or severe symptoms belong with a doctor. The NIMH suggests talking to a professional if you're struggling to cope, or if stress or anxiety won't go away, gets in the way of daily life or makes you avoid things.[3]
If you're thinking about hurting yourself, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org.[3]
If you have ever had psychosis or another serious mental illness, talk with your doctor first. NCCIH notes some reports of qigong-induced mental disorders, tied to unrealistic expectations or inappropriate practice.[6] The 2024 review mentions similar reports.[2]
How can you try qigong safely?
Many people practice qigong to wind down, and that's a fair reason to give it a try. Treat it as an add-on: keep any therapy and medication you already have.
- Start with something short, such as qigong for beginners or a morning routine. Programs in the trials ran for 1 to 3 months.[1]
- Mild soreness can happen. In one trial of people with knee osteoarthritis, it affected 24 percent of the qigong group and 48 percent of the stretching group.[2]
- If practice leaves you more restless or anxious, stop. People occasionally report increased anxiety with relaxation techniques.[6]
- The VA considers tai chi and qi gong safe under a skilled teacher.[7] You can find a qigong class near you.
- Many trials lump qigong and tai chi together, so it helps to know how qigong and tai chi differ. Read who should be careful with qigong before you begin.
Sources
- Wang et al. 2014: Managing stress and anxiety through qigong exercise in healthy adults, systematic review and meta-analysis (BMC Complement Altern Med)
- Oh et al. 2024: Qigong therapy for stress management, systematic review of randomized controlled trials (Healthcare)
- NIMH: I'm So Stressed Out! Fact Sheet
- Liu et al. 2026: Comparative efficacy of exercise interventions for anxiety disorders, Bayesian network meta-analysis (Psychol Res Behav Manag)
- Noetel et al. 2024: Effect of exercise for depression, systematic review and network meta-analysis (BMJ)
- NCCIH: Anxiety and Complementary Health Approaches, updated September 2024
- VA Whole Health Library: Tai Chi and Qi Gong, updated March 2025