Integrated Mindfulness-based Health Qigong Intervention for COVID-19 Survivors and Caregivers

Developing an Integrated Mindfulness-based Health Qigong Intervention (iMBHQ) for COVID-19 Survivors and Caregivers to Improve Their Physical and Psychological Wellness

This study examines the effectiveness of a 16-week Integrated Mindfulness-based Health Qigong (iMBHQ) program, delivered via a mobile application, in improving the mental and physical well-being of COVID-19 survivors, their caregivers, and the general public. We hypothesize that participants in the iMBHQ group will demonstrate significant reductions in stress, depression, and anxiety compared to a control group receiving treatment-as-usual. This parallel-group randomized controlled trial aims to recruit 600 participants (200 COVID-19 survivors, 200 caregivers, and 200 individuals from the general public). Effectiveness is evaluated at baseline, 8 weeks, 16 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months post-intervention, using standardized psychological and physical health assessments.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: COVID-19 Infection
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Mindfulness-based Health Qigong Intervention

Detailed Description

Background & Objective The COVID-19 pandemic has precipitated significant psychological challenges, including stress, anxiety, and depression, among COVID-19 survivors, their caregivers, and the general public. The primary objective of this study is to examine whether an Integrated Mindfulness-based Health Qigong (iMBHQ) program can improve the physical and psychological wellness of these three distinct populations within the community.

Study Design & Participants This study employs a 3 × 2 factorial parallel-group randomized controlled trial design. The trial aims to recruit a total of 600 participants (200 COVID-19 survivors, 200 caregivers, and 200 individuals from the general public). Participants will be randomized into either the treatment group (receiving the 16-week iMBHQ program) or the control group (receiving treatment-as-usual).

Intervention Procedures Delivered via a tailor-made mobile application, the iMBHQ program combines Health Qigong (Baduanjin) and Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) to target both physical health and psychological distress. During Weeks 1-8, participants complete mindfulness-based sessions lasting 2 hours per week. During Weeks 9-16, they transition to practicing Qigong for 30 minutes per day, five days a week. To evaluate efficacy, outcome data will be collected at baseline, 8 weeks (inter-intervention), 16 weeks (post-intervention), 6 months, and 12 months post-intervention.

Outcome Measures & Analysis Primary and secondary outcome measures include the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA), 12-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), Rumination Reflection Questionnaire (RRQ), Hyperarousal Scale, and specific scales measuring COVID-19-related fear, stigma, and attitudes toward vaccination. Data will be analyzed using the Intention-to-Treat (ITT) principle, and linear mixed models will be utilized to examine treatment × group interactions.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 600
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Hong Kong
  • Hong Kong, Hong Kong
    • The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
  • Hong Kong, Hong Kong
    • Princess Margaret Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• COVID-19 survivors: people aged 18 years or above who were infected by COVID-19 (both symptomatic and asymptomatic) and clinically recovered
• Caregivers of COVID-19 patients, including family members or medical professionals who have contacts with patients diagnosed COVID-19 aged 18 years or above
• General healthy public aged 18 years or above

Exclusion Criteria:

• people diagnosed severe and/or chronic conditions that prevent the practice of Qigong (e.g., acute exacerbation of dyspnoea, severe cardiopulmonary disease) or mindfulness intervention,
• people with severe psychiatric disorder
• people who have regular psychiatric follow-ups

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Intervention group; Intervention group will receive training on Qigong exercise and mindfulness.	Other: Mindfulness-based Health Qigong Intervention; Participants are introduced the practice of the most essential skills, particularly mindfulness and the basic movements of Qigong. The intervention lasts 16 weeks and is divided into two sequential 8-week phases: Phase 1 (Weeks 1-8): Participants complete mindfulness-based sessions lasting 2 to 2.5 hours per week. They are also instructed to complete three self-practice sessions (5 to 10 minutes per session), scheduled flexibly at their convenience. Phase 2 (Weeks 9-16): Participants complete 40 sessions of Health Qigong (5 sessions per week, 30 minutes each). To verify compliance, participants must upload a 1-minute self-practice video to the mobile application each week.
No Intervention: Control group; Control group will not receive intervention.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Psychological Symptoms	Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-12)	From baseline to 12 months post-intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Interoception, Quality of Life, Rumination, Hyperarousal, Fear and Stigma Towards COVID-19, Attitude toward rapid testing and vaccine	Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA); 12-item Short Form healthy survey (SF-12); Rumination Reflection Questionnaire (RRQ); Pre-sleep Arousal Scale (PSAS); COVID-19 Public Stigma Scale (PSS); Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV); Thought on Covid-19 vaccination (TCV).	From baseline to 12 months post-intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: TSANG Hector Wing-Hong
• Collaborators: Health and Medical Research Fund
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Wing Hong, Hector TSANG, Prof, Department of Rehabilitation Science, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 8, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 28, 2026
• Study Completion (Actual): March 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 4, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 4, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): January 8, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 6, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 2, 2026
• Last Verified: July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: caregivers; COVID-19 Survivors; mindfulness-based health Qigong intervention; physical wellness; psychological wellness
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Respiratory Tract Infections; Infections; RNA Virus Infections; Virus Diseases; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Lung Diseases; Pneumonia, Viral; Pneumonia; Coronavirus Infections; Coronaviridae Infections; Nidovirales Infections; Behavior; Personal Satisfaction; COVID-19; Psychological Well-Being
• Other Study ID Numbers: KW/EX-23-001(179-01)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No