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Psychosocial effects of T ai C hi exercise on people with rheumatoid arthritis
Author(s) -
WaiteJones Jennifer M,
Hale Claire A,
Lee HeaYoung
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of clinical nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.94
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1365-2702
pISSN - 0962-1067
DOI - 10.1111/jocn.12327
Subject(s) - psychosocial , thematic analysis , anxiety , psychology , perspective (graphical) , clinical psychology , social support , rheumatoid arthritis , qualitative research , medicine , psychotherapist , psychiatry , social science , artificial intelligence , sociology , computer science
Aims and objectives To investigate the perceived psychosocial effects of participating in taught sessions of T ai C hi on people diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis ( RA ). Background Tai C hi is thought to be psychologically as well as physically beneficial for people with arthritis. Design This study adopted a qualitative approach to follow‐up participants who had previously demonstrated physical and psychological benefits from a specifically modified T ai C hi programme in an attempt to explore perceived psychosocial improvements. Methods Nineteen semi‐structured, audio‐taped, interviews were carried out with participants who had taken part in, twice weekly, group‐based T ai C hi sessions for 12 weeks. Data from transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Results Analysis suggests that participating in shared T ai C hi sessions provides increased awareness of the links between mind and body; reduces anxiety and depression; and improves self‐esteem, self‐efficacy and motivation. It was particularly striking to find that the highly structured nature of T ai C hi was felt to improve memory and seemed to offer aesthetic experiences through developing graceful, ‘fluid’ moves rather than the ‘jarring’ movements often imposed by having RA . Such group sessions were found to provide social support and help improve participants' sense of perspective. Conclusion Although small scale, this study suggests that T ai C hi has the potential to offer psychosocial benefits for people with RA . Relevance to clinical practice Offering T ai C hi alongside traditional treatments for RA could promote psychological health and well‐being, help inform clinical decision‐making and prove cost‐effective.