Effects of a Qi Gong Program on Dissociative Symptoms in Patients Who Have Experienced Childhood Trauma: a Randomized Controlled Trial (Qi-T)

NCT07670663 | Not Yet Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: 2025/RUN/0030
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 90
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether participation in 12 Qi Gong sessions (intervention group), compared with usual care without Qi Gong (control group), reduces dissociative symptoms, as measured by the Dissociative Experience Scale-II (DES-II), between T0 and T1, in outpatients hospitalized for psychiatric disorders related to aversive experiences during childhood. The main questions it aims to answer are: \- a) To assess whether participation in the Qi Gong program leads to a reduction in symptoms related to complex trauma, b) To assess whether participation in the Qi Gong program leads to an increase in the level of mindfulness c) To explore whether the effect of the Qi Gong program on reducing dissociative symptoms varies according to participants' baseline level of dissociation (Dissociative Experiences Scale-II ) d) To explore whether the effect of the Qi Gong program on reducing dissociative symptoms is sustained over time e) To explore the experiences of patients who participated in the Qi Gong sessions following the intervention. This is a randomized controlled trial with parallel groups:

• Intervention group: participation in 12 Qi Gong sessions led by a trained professional, in addition to standard care
• Control group: standard care, without access to Qi Gong sessions during the study period. Participants will be required to:
• complete 3 questionnaires (DES-II, ITQ, MAAS)
• attend one Qi Gong session per week for 12 weeks (including a group debriefing) or receive standard care at a medical-psychological center (without Qi Gong)
• complete the same questionnaires (DES-II, ITQ, MAAS) after the 12 weeks
• complete the DES-II questionnaire 2 months later

Conditions

Psychiatry

Keywords

dissociative symptoms; childhood trauma; Qi- Qong

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Reduction in dissociative symptoms

  Symptoms of dissociation, as measured by the Dissociative Experiences Scale-II (DES-II), will be compared between the intervention group (Qi Gong sessions) and the control group (usual care without Qi Gong).

  3 months after enrollment

• To assess whether participation in the Qi-Gong program leads to a reduction in symptoms related to complex trauma

  Change in mean ITQ scores between T1 and T0 (T1-T0); this change will be calculated for each participant.

  3 months after enrollment

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• To assess whether participation in the Qigong program leads to an increase in the level of mindfulness

  3 months after enrollement

• To investigate whether the effect of the Qigong program on reducing dissociative symptoms varies depending on participants' initial level of dissociation

  3 months after enrollment

• To investigate whether the effect of the Qigong program on reducing dissociative symptoms persists over time

  5 months after enrollement

• To explore the experiences of patients who participated in Qi Gong sessions following the intervention.

  3 month after enrollment

Study Arms (2)

Qi-gong

EXPERIMENTAL

One Qi Gong session per week for 12 weeks, in groups of six, led by a certified professional.

Other: Qi-Gong

Routine Care (without Qi Gong)

NO INTERVENTION

Routine care at a medical-psychological center (appointments with psychologists, doctors, and registered nurses scheduled as part of standard care), excluding participation in Qi Gong sessions

Interventions

Qi-Gong OTHER

1 Qi Gong session per week for 12 weeks

Qi-gong

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• years of age or older
• A score above the 10th percentile on the Dissociative Experience Scale-II (DES-II)
• A score above 2 on the ACE scale (Adverse Childhood Experiences by Felitti et al., 1998)
• A medical certificate attesting to the participant's fitness to practice Qigong
• A person enrolled in or receiving benefits from a social security program
• Free, informed, and written consent signed by the participant and the investigator (no later than the day of enrollment and prior to any examination required by the study).

You may not qualify if:

• In a suicidal crisis
• In a hallucinatory crisis
• Experiencing a major depressive episode
• Unstabilized
• Pregnant women
• Those who do not understand French
• Under guardianship or conservatorship
• Under judicial protection

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de la Réunion: lead

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Qigong

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Breathing Exercises; Mind-Body Therapies; Complementary Therapies; Therapeutics; Exercise Movement Techniques; Physical Therapy Modalities

Central Study Contacts

Olivier Martinez, Mr

CONTACT

0262 262570169; olivier.martinez@chu-reunion.fr

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 22, 2026
• First Posted: June 26, 2026
• Study Start (Estimated): September 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): January 1, 2029
• Study Completion (Estimated): March 1, 2029
• Last Updated: June 26, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share