A Randomized Controlled Trial of Tai Chi Chih or Health Education for Geriatric Depression

•What is the primary question addressed by this study?Geriatric depression is difficult to treat and frequently accompanied by treatment resistance, suicidal ideations and polypharmacy. New adjunctive mind-body treatment strategies can improve clinical outcomes in geriatric depression and reduce risk for side-effects of pharmacological treatments.•What is the main finding of this study?We report the results of a 3-month randomized controlled trial to assess the efficacy and tolerability of combining Tai Chi Chih (TCC) or Health Education and Wellness training (HEW) with the stable standard antidepressant treatment on mood and cognitive functioning in depressed older adults with 6 month follow up.•What is the meaning of the finding?The combination of TCC or HEW with a standard antidepressant treatment was equally effective for depression and cognition in older adults. TCC was superior to HEW in improving general health.