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Long-term effects of energetic healing on symptoms of psychological depression and self-perceived stress
Abstract
The long-term effects of energetic healing were examined in an experimental design employing a 3 x 3 factorial MANOVA on symptoms of psychological depression and self-perceived stress as measured by the Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Hopelessness, and Perceived Stress scales. Forty-six participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: hands-on Reiki, distance Reiki, or distance Reiki placebo, and remained blind to treatment condition. Each participant received a 1 to 1.5 hour treatment each week for 6 weeks. Pretest data collected prior to treatment demonstrated no preexisting significant differences among groups. Upon completion of treatment, there was a significant reduction in symptoms of psychological distress in treatment groups as compared with controls (P < .05; Eta square ranging from .09-.18), and these differences continued to be present 1 year later (P < .05; Eta square ranging from .12-.44).
... He trained in a monastery as a young boy, and practiced martial arts from age 12, achieving mastery in several disciplines. Perhaps because of Usui's background in Buddhism, Reiki is often referred to as an ancient Tibetan technique, although there is no evidence that this is true [3]. Usui stressed the importance of peaceful mental demeanor, and offered his students 5 precepts to guide them: ...
... Be compassionate to yourself and others [3]. ...
... Reiki therapy was conducted according to the techniques as laid out by Usui [3]. The therapy was administered to Reiki group for two days in a duration of three hours per day and included meditation session of one hour as well as energy transfer session of two hours with the help of energy centering and tools along with Yogaasanas as prescribed for Depression, stress and Anxiety related disorders. ...
Background: The escalating prevalence of stress and anxiety disorders has emerged as a pronounced public health concern, exerting a profound impact on the global well-being of individuals. Despite its increasing recognition, empirical investigations into the precise application of Reiki therapy for stress and anxiety disorders remain scant. Primary Study Objective: This pilot study aims to fill this critical void by delving into the potential benefits of Reiki therapy as a complementary intervention for the treatment and management of stress and anxiety.
... 13 Moreover, it has been proven to have long-term effects up to 1 year after the experiment. 41 In addition, there have been programs in which the number of sessions has varied, as well as the duration of each session, considering that the minimum recommended is 4 sessions. 35,[41][42][43][44] This study aims to determine the effect of a distance Reiki intervention program on stress and anxiety during the COVID-19 isolation period among people working in a company in the city of Lima, Peru. ...
... 41 In addition, there have been programs in which the number of sessions has varied, as well as the duration of each session, considering that the minimum recommended is 4 sessions. 35,[41][42][43][44] This study aims to determine the effect of a distance Reiki intervention program on stress and anxiety during the COVID-19 isolation period among people working in a company in the city of Lima, Peru. The associated hypothesis is that the distance Reiki intervention program will lead to a reduction in stress and anxiety levels in the aforementioned group. ...
... The program was validated by 3 expert judges who approved the program developed based on previous intervention programs (Table 3). 35,[41][42][43] ...
Evidence has been found of how the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has increased stress and anxiety indicators. Against this background, the present research aims to determine the effect of a distance Reiki intervention program on stress and anxiety during the period of isolation due to COVID-19 among people working in the city of Lima, Peru. The related hypothesis was that distance Reiki would generate a reduction in stress and anxiety levels. It was a quasiexperimental design with pre- and posttests, with nonprobabilistic purposive sampling. In total, 28 employees participated (12 in the experimental group and 16 in the control group). As part of the method, the following instruments were used: the EPGE, IDARE, and Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS). There was a large decrease in the distress parameter (Cohen's d = 1.006), as well as in the state anxiety parameter (d = 1.678) and a large increase in eustress (d = 0.921). Similarly, there was an overall reduction in the trait anxiety parameter (d = 0.373) in all cases as compared with the control group. Coronavirus anxiety showed no major impact. These results provide initial evidence on the effects of distance Reiki among Peruvians and provide the basis for promoting this cost-effective therapy, generating a practical and social contribution.
... Another SR by Joyce and Herbison (2015) excluded studies that were included in this SR because they did not meet the criteria for being anxious or depressed (Dressen and Singg, 1998;Shiflett et al., 2002;Mackay et al., 2004;Shore, 2004;Bowden et al., 2010). These studies still used outcome measures of mental health (met PICO), so they were included in this SR. ...
... These studies still used outcome measures of mental health (met PICO), so they were included in this SR. Also, when baseline pre-treatment mean scores were compared to accepted clinical cutoffs, some studies that Joyce and Herbison (2015) excluded were in the clinical range (Dressen and Singg, 1998;Shore, 2004), and one study she included was in the clinical range for stress but not anxiety and depression (Bowden et al., 2011). These clinical discrepancies are highlighted in the results of this SR. ...
... The search found 26 randomized placebo controlled trials (RPCTs) that examined hands-on Reiki's effectiveness over placebo in adults using valid outcome measures translated in English (Thornton, 1991;Dressen and Singg, 1998;Witte and Dundes, 2001;Shiflett et al., 2002;Mackay et al., 2004;Shore, 2004;Gillespie et al., 2007;Assefi et al., 2008;Bowden et al., 2010Bowden et al., , 2011Catlin and Taylor-Ford, 2011;Díaz-Rodríguez et al., 2011a,b;Ventura Carraca, 2012;Baldwin et al., 2013Baldwin et al., , 2017Fortes Salles et al., 2014;Novoa and Cain, 2014;Rosada et al., 2015;Alarcao and Fonseca, 2016;Erdogan and Cinar, 2016;Midilli and Gunduzoglu, 2016;Vasudev and Shastri, 2016;Bat, 2021;Yüce and Taşcı, 2021;Çinar et al., 2022). Fourteen of these met PICO for examining the effectiveness of Reiki over placebo in measuring symptoms of mental health (Thornton, 1991;Dressen and Singg, 1998;Shiflett et al., 2002;Shore, 2004;Bowden et al., 2010Bowden et al., , 2011Díaz-Rodríguez et al., 2011a,b;Rosada et al., 2015;Erdogan and Cinar, 2016;Vasudev and Shastri, 2016;Baldwin et al., 2017;Yüce and Taşcı, 2021;Çinar et al., 2022). ...
Background
Reiki is an energy healing technique or biofield therapy in which an attuned therapist places their hands on or near the client’s body and sends energy to the client to activate the body’s ability to heal itself and restore balance. It was developed in Japan at the end of the 19th century by Mikao Usui of Kyoto. Given the enormous international socioeconomic burden of mental health, inexpensive, safe, and evidenced-based treatments would be welcomed. Reiki is safe, inexpensive, and preliminary research suggests it may assist in treating a wide variety of illnesses. Given that Reiki is a biofield therapy, growing in use, and not yet accepted by the dominant biomedical paradigm, it is important to establish its effectiveness over placebo. This study aimed to examine Reiki’s effectiveness over placebo in treating symptoms of mental health and to explore parameters for its effectiveness.
Method
A systematic review of randomized placebo-controlled trials (RPCTs) examining Reiki’s effectiveness in treating symptoms of mental health in adults was conducted through a systematic search of PubMed, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, and ProQuest. Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria, and risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane’s Revised ROB 2 assessment tool. This was followed by a grading of recommendations, assessment, development and evaluations (GRADE) assessment.
Results
The evidence to date suggests that Reiki consistently demonstrates a greater therapeutic effect over placebo for some symptoms of mental health. The GRADE level of evidence is high for clinically relevant levels of stress and depression, moderate to high for clinically relevant levels of anxiety, low to moderate for normal levels of stress, and low to moderate for burnout, and low for normal levels of depression and anxiety.
Conclusion
The results suggest that, Reiki may be more effective in treating some areas of mental health, than placebo, particularly if symptoms are clinically relevant. To date, there are a small number of studies in each area, therefore findings are inconclusive and, more RCTs controlling for placebo in Reiki research are needed. Most included studies were also assessed as having a risk of bias of some concern. Incorporating Reiki as a complementary treatment to mainstream psychotherapy for depression, stress, and anxiety may be appropriate.
Systematic Review Registration
[ https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/ ], identifier [CRD42020194311].
... Previous qualitative studies of Reiki, although few in number, have reported themes related to feelings of relaxation and calmness, body sensations such as warmth and tingling, emotional release, changes in perception, and connection to spirit or a higher power. [25][26][27][28][29] However, these studies contain only a small number of participants within specific clinical populations, either patients or their caregivers. No study to date has examined the subjective experience of Reiki in a large nonclinical population, where Reiki often occurs. ...
... The themes that emerged from the current study are similar to those described in the few previous qualitative studies, suggesting that the Reiki experience is comparable across different clinical and nonclinical populations and is not necessarily influenced by a specific ailment. [25][26][27][28][29][33][34][35] Reiki can elicit deep relaxation, improve emotions or release stored negative emotions, reduce symptoms, alter perception across the senses, and bring clarity and meaning to one's life. One theme the authors identified that has not been described previously or has received little attention is ''sleep and drowsiness.'' ...
... The most common major theme reported by respondents was deep relaxation and calm, experienced by 68% of Reiki participants. Both qualitative [25][26][27][28][29]33,37 and quantitative results 22,31,[38][39][40] support that Reiki elicits deep relaxation and reduces stress. For example, Witte and Dundes 38 found Reiki to be an effective means of inducing relaxation, with a similar proportion (64%) of Reiki participants reporting being physically relaxed as in the current study. ...
Objectives: The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the subjective experience of Reiki in a large sample. Design: The study design was a single-arm pragmatic effectiveness trial with qualitative questions completed post-Reiki session. Setting: The study took place at private Reiki practices across the United States. Subjects: A total of 99 Reiki practitioners met the inclusion criteria and participated in the study. Reiki practitioners invited each of their Reiki clients to complete a survey before and after the Reiki session. Of the N = 1575 Reiki sessions recorded, N = 1284 qualitative responses were completed (82% of total) and included in the analysis. Interventions: Trained and experienced Reiki masters conducted Reiki sessions in person, with each session lasting between 45 and 90 min. Outcome measures: Participants were asked to describe their experience during the Reiki session. Results: Qualitative analysis revealed eight major themes: (1) deep relaxation and calm (68%), (2) body sensations/somatic experiences (53%), (3) emotions (29%), (4) spiritual or symbolic significance (18%), (5) changes in symptoms (17%), (6) changes in perception (11%), (7) sleep and drowsiness (10%), and (8) changes to breathing (4%). Significantly more males reported feeling relaxed and experiencing time perception changes, whereas more females reported body sensations, emotions, visual perceptions, and spiritual significance. Conclusions: The findings from this study suggest that Reiki can elicit the relaxation response and alter emotions and perception in such a way as to facilitate a transformative subjective healing experience. Future work will analyze these themes as they relate to changes in symptoms and compare the experience of Reiki with other biofield therapies.
... Primarily female participation occurred in 5 studies, 4,14,[20][21][22] in the others there was gender mix, although with women composing much of the sample in the other studies. [23][24][25][26][27][28] Recruitment sites were diverse, including 5 exclusively community samples, 14,24-26,-28 2 samples at universities, 23,27 3 samples at the hospital, 4,20,21 and 1 in primary health care. 22 Studies were published in 9 journals, most of them on alternative medicine (n = 7) and nursing (n = 3). ...
... The studies were primarily conducted by North American (n = 7), European (n = 2), Indian (n = 1), and Brazilian (n = 1) researchers. A complete report of the studies and the major findings were shown in Table 1. a distance, 26 the other 4 studies used placebo as a comparative intervention, 14,20,23,28 and in 1 study, comparable interventions were not used by researchers. 24 ...
... Stress was the variable most often measured, represented in more than 60% of the studies (n = 7). 4,20,21,23,[25][26][27] Five studies focused on depression symptoms, 14,23,24,26,28 and regarding anxiety, 4 studies evaluated this variable. [23][24][25]28 All authors found a meaningful reduction in stress, depression, and anxiety after Reiki. ...
This systematic review aimed to identify the benefits of Reiki in mental health care. Eleven studies were included. Although the number of studies is limited, the results contribute to the potential beneficial role of Reiki in mental health care. Persistent studies using Reiki with broad samples, consistent randomized controlled trials, and patterned protocols are recommended.
... Sobre o nível de evidência e tipo de estudo, os quase-experimentais (Nível III) e os ensaios clínicos (Nível II) foram os mais frequentes, com três (31)(32)(33) e sete estudos (34)(35)(36)(37)(38)(39)(40) , respectivamente. ...
... Em relação aos instrumentos para mensurar os efeitos da técnica Reiki nos participantes dos estudos, os mais utilizados foram: Spielberg Anxiety Inventory (33,35) , Visual Analog Scales (VAS) for Pain and Anxiety (31,35) , Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) (32,40) , Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS), Pittsburgh Quality of Sleep Index (PSQI), Illness Symptoms Questionnaire, ActivationDeactivation Adjective Check List (AD-ACL), Reiki-Blinding and Expectation Questionnaire e Illness Symptoms Questionnaire (ISQ) (37)(38) . ...
... Entre os estudos que compuseram a amostra final, aqueles que utilizaram apenas o Reiki como tratamento também foram maioria (n = 8) (31)(32)(33)(34)(37)(38)(39)(40) ; outros tratamentos usados em conjunto com ele foram: uso da música (n = 1) (35) e presença de acompanhantes (n = 1) (36) . O Quadro 1 apresenta informações detalhadas sobre os estudos selecionados. ...
Objective:
To analyze the scientific evidences of the use of Reiki as a care strategy to people in mental suffering.
Methods:
Integrative review in the databases PubMed, Scielo, Web of Science, and BVS. The study included articles in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, with no time restriction, which answer to the guiding question that was created in accordance to the PICo strategy: “What are the scientific evidences on the use of Reiki as a care strategy to people in mental suffering?” Gray literature was not considered.
Results:
Ten articles made up the final sample. The use of the Reiki therapy had benefits as a strategy to care for stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms, pain relief, and quality of life improvements, whether the therapy was used isolated or to complement other treatments.
Conclusion:
The development of the competence of nurses and other health professionals in the use of Reiki can contribute to improve the quality standards of care.
... Quanto aos países de origem dos artigos analisados estão especificados no Quadro 2, com o respetivo número de artigos por país. (12) a 1h30 minutos (13) , 1 (21) a 3 (11,42) vezes por semanas, durante 2 semanas a 3 meses (42) . A maioria dos estudos utilizou sessões de 30 minutos (5,9,18,42,44,49,51,53,59) . ...
... Na dimensão Reiki enquanto intervenção de enfermagem, procuram normalizar o processo intervenção de modo a não haver diferenças entre os praticantes Reiki e a simulação de Reiki, de modo a controlar o efeito placebo (5,9,13,18,44,45,49,53,59) . ...
... Em pessoas com stress, ansiedade e depressão verificou-se: redução dos sintomas depressivos a longo prazo, em pessoas com sintomas de depressão e stress, após sessões que variavam entre 1h a 1h30 minutos, uma vez por semana, durante seis semanas (13) e melhoria do humor global em estudantes com um índice de ansiedade/ou depressão elevado, quando aplicado 30 minutos de Reiki durante 2 a 8 semanas (53) . ...
... 33,34 There are only a few studies evaluating Reiki in healthcare worker populations, with results showing reductions in stress in nurses administering self-Reiki, 35 reduced burnout in mental health clinicians, 28 reduced stress, respiratory rate, and heart rate 36 and improved stress coping and fatigue in nurses. 37 Distance Reiki use is on the rise since the pandemic, given the need for social distancing, limited contacts, and with many businesses required to be closed. A qualitative study with ten Reiki practitioners in the UK reported that they saw value in adapting their practice by using technology and distance Reiki but believed that distance Reiki could not replace in-person practice. ...
... To date, 7 studies on distance Reiki have been conducted which have shown benefits to psychological health, but mixed results with respect to pain. 37,[39][40][41][42][43][44] For example, a randomized controlled trial (RCT) found a significantly lower heart rate and blood pressure with distance Reiki after caesarian section, but no difference in pain, compared to usual care. 39 Whereas in another study, Reiki decreased pain, anxiety, and fatigue in oncology patients compared to usual care. ...
Background:
Reiki is a biofield therapy which is based on the explanatory model that the fields of energy and information of living systems can be influenced to promote relaxation and stimulate a healing response.
Objective:
To conduct a pragmatic within-subject pilot trial of a remote Reiki program for frontline healthcare workers' health-related symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods:
Healthcare professionals in the UK (eg, physicians, nurses, and paramedics) were eligible to sign up for a distance Reiki program and were also invited to participate in the research study. Eight Reiki practitioners simultaneously gave each participant Reiki remotely for 20 minutes on 4 consecutive days. Feasibility of the research was assessed, including recruitment, data completeness, acceptability and intervention fidelity, and preliminary evaluation of changes in outcome measures. Participants' stress, anxiety, pain, wellbeing, and sleep quality were evaluated with 7-point numerical rating scales. Measures were completed when signing up to receive Reiki (pre) and following the final Reiki session (post). Pre and post data were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed ranks tests.
Results:
Seventy-nine healthcare professionals signed up to receive Reiki and took the baseline measures. Of those, 40 completed post-measures after the 4-day intervention and were therefore included in the pre-post analysis. Most participants were female (97.5%), and the mean age was 43.9 years old (standard deviations = 11.2). The study was feasible to conduct, with satisfactory recruitment, data completeness, acceptability, and fidelity. Wilcoxon signed ranks tests revealed statistically significant decreases in stress (M = -2.33; P < .001), anxiety (M = -2.79; P < .001) and pain (M = -.79; P < .001), and significant increases in wellbeing (M = -1.79; P < .001) and sleep quality (M = -1.33; P = .019).
Conclusions:
The Reiki program was feasible and was associated with decreased stress, anxiety and pain, and increased wellbeing and sleep quality in frontline healthcare workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
... The literature has indicated positive effects of Reiki therapy, including decreased anxiety in healthy persons [27], people with various CP conditions [28], people with abdominal hysterectomies [29], women with breast biopsy [30], people with stage I to IV cancer [31] and community-dwelling older adults [32]. Similarly, the positive effects of Reiki therapy on depression in groups with various CP conditions [28], depressive conditions [33], women with breast biopsies [30], and elderly people living in community housing or nursing homes have been reported [32,34], while two studies indicated no effects in poststroke patients [35] and patients with prostate cancer treated by radiation [36]. Particularly noteworthy is the reported effectiveness of Reiki therapy in 29 patients identified as depressive (19-78 years) who received Reiki therapy session in comparison with those having received placebo treatment [33]. ...
... Similarly, the positive effects of Reiki therapy on depression in groups with various CP conditions [28], depressive conditions [33], women with breast biopsies [30], and elderly people living in community housing or nursing homes have been reported [32,34], while two studies indicated no effects in poststroke patients [35] and patients with prostate cancer treated by radiation [36]. Particularly noteworthy is the reported effectiveness of Reiki therapy in 29 patients identified as depressive (19-78 years) who received Reiki therapy session in comparison with those having received placebo treatment [33]. In addition, two recent reviews supported the argument that Reiki therapy is valuable as a complementary therapy to manage anxiety and depression symptoms [22,25], whereas another review emphasized information insufficient to delineate the exact effect of Reiki therapy on psychological distress [37]. ...
While the world faces an unprecedented situation with the pandemic, other chronic diseases such as chronic pain continue to run their course. The social distancing and restrictive displacement imposed by the pandemic situation represents a new barrier to access to pain management and tends to reinforce chronification process. Given this context, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) might offer new opportunities to manage CP, notably with a hand-touch method, such as self-Reiki therapy. Although Reiki administered by a practitioner has shown promising results to reduce pain and psychological distress, and to improve quality of life, self-Reiki practice needs evidence-based medicine to be disseminated. Overall, self-Reiki could bring positive results in addition to, and without interfering with, conventional medicine approaches in patients experienced chronic pain.
... Indeed, the results of this nonclinical real-world study are consistent with small sample clinical trials in which Reiki was associated with improvements in well-being [16][17][18][19][20][21] and alleviation of pain, 3,22-24 emotional stress, 25-28 anxiety, 21,23,26,28 and depression. 25,29 Positive affect was below norm levels at pre and increased to norm levels at post, whereas negative affect was at norm and decreased to below norm levels following Reiki. Therefore, a single session of Reiki can provide immediate benefits to affect, and multiple studies have reported affect to be a key factor in physical and psychological health, through pathways such as promotion of healthy behaviors, improved immune system function, and increased social support to name a few. ...
... However, experiments with sham Reiki active controls, in which a person untrained in Reiki uses the same hand positions as a Reiki practitioner on client or patient, also have a therapeutic effect, such as reducing selfreported anxiety. 4,12,32 Although sham Reiki has some therapeutic benefits, Reiki appears to be more effective than sham Reiki based on current pilot studies, 10,25,26,[33][34][35][36] although one study reported no difference between sham Reiki and Reiki for treating fibromyalgia. 37 It is difficult to study the placebo response in a population who is paying Reiki practitioners to provide them with Reiki. ...
Objectives:
The main purpose of this study was to measure the effect of a single session of Reiki on physical and psychological health in a large nonclinical sample.
Design:
The study design was a single arm effectiveness trial with measures at pre-and postintervention.
Settings:
The study took place at private Reiki practices across the United States.
Subjects:
Reiki practitioners were recruited from an online mailing list to participate in the study with their Reiki clients. A total of 99 Reiki practitioners met the inclusion criteria and participated in the study. Reiki practitioners were instructed to give a flyer to each of their Reiki clients that contained information about the study and invited the client to complete a survey before and after their Reiki session.
Interventions:
Trained and certified Reiki Masters conducted the Reiki sessions in person, with each session lasting between 45 and 90 min.
Outcome measures:
The well-validated 20-item Positive and Negative Affect Schedule was used to assess affect, and brief, single-item self-report measures were used to assess a wide range of physical and psychological variables immediately before (pre) and after (post) the Reiki session.
Results:
A total of N = 1411 Reiki sessions were conducted and included in the analysis. Statistically significant improvements were observed for all outcome measures, including positive affect, negative affect, pain, drowsiness, tiredness, nausea, appetite, shortness of breath, anxiety, depression, and overall well-being (all p-values <0.001).
Conclusions:
The results from this large-scale multisite effectiveness trial suggest that a single session of Reiki improves multiple variables related to physical and psychological health.
... [13][14][15][16][17] Six studies indicated that Reiki is able to decrease anxiety in healthy persons, 30 and people with various chronic pain conditions, 19 abdominal hysterectomies, 24 women with breast biopsy, 31 stage I to IV cancer 23 and community-dwelling older adults, 28 while one study showed no significant effect in patients with prostate cancer treated by radiation. 32 Moreover, five studies reported significant positive effects of Reiki therapy on depression in groups with various chronic pain conditions, 19 depressive conditions, 33 women with breast biopsies, 31 and elderly people living in community housing or nursing homes, 28 34 while two studies indicated no effects in post-stroke patients 35 and patients with prostate cancer treated by radiation. 32 When Reiki therapy was compared with sham Reiki, standard care or the resting group, the results showed that Reiki therapy had either a greater effect, 19 24 28 33 34 or no different effect on anxiety or depression. ...
... 32 When Reiki therapy was compared with sham Reiki, standard care or the resting group, the results showed that Reiki therapy had either a greater effect, 19 24 28 33 34 or no different effect on anxiety or depression. 23 31 35 In specific populations aged from 19 to 78 years identified as depressive, Shore 33 indicated that either hands-on or distance Reiki therapy were effective at decreasing the Beck Depression Inventory score (−60% and −73%, respectively, p<0.05) in comparison with control conditions (−19%). Furthermore, in an elderly population, 78.3 (65-91) years old on average, Erdogan and Cinar 34 investigated the effect of an 8-week Reiki therapy programme where one session of 45 min was provided by a Reiki Master for the first 8 weeks. ...
The use of complementary and alternative therapies is growing year after year, and Reiki therapy takes a place of choice. Reiki therapy, classed as a biofield energy therapy, raises the question of validity when applied to patients, especially in palliative care. The purpose of this review is to highlight the effects of Reiki therapy on pain, anxiety/depression and quality of life of patients, specifically in palliative care. The current article indicates that Reiki therapy is useful for relieving pain, decreasing anxiety/depression and improving quality of life in several conditions. Due to the small number of studies in palliative care, we were unable to clearly identify the benefits of Reiki therapy, but preliminary results tend to show some positive effects of Reiki therapy for the end-of-life population. These results should encourage teams working in palliative care to conduct more studies to determine the benefits of Reiki therapy on pain, anxiety/depression and quality of life in palliative care.
... To achieve a life without alcohol addiction one important factor is the mental wellbeing (6) and reiki is a complementary method potential to increase mental well-being (7)(8)(9). ...
... There are quantitative studies supporting some findings of this study. The subcategory Greater harmony is consistent with the studies indicating that reiki has the potential to reduce anxiety and depression (7)(8)(9)(20)(21)(22)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34), and those that have found increased peace and relaxation and improved sleep (27,(31)(32)(33)(34). The findings of this study indicate that pain can be reduced or disappear after reiki, which is indicated in previous studies (20)(21)(22), and that reiki can cause reduced heart rate and blood pressure, which is supported by a study showing significant reduced heart rate and diastolic blood pressure in the reiki group (35). ...
... To achieve a life without alcohol addiction one important factor is the mental wellbeing (6) and reiki is a complementary method potential to increase mental well-being (7)(8)(9). ...
... There are quantitative studies supporting some findings of this study. The subcategory Greater harmony is consistent with the studies indicating that reiki has the potential to reduce anxiety and depression (7)(8)(9)(20)(21)(22)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34), and those that have found increased peace and relaxation and improved sleep (27,(31)(32)(33)(34). The findings of this study indicate that pain can be reduced or disappear after reiki, which is indicated in previous studies (20)(21)(22), and that reiki can cause reduced heart rate and blood pressure, which is supported by a study showing significant reduced heart rate and diastolic blood pressure in the reiki group (35). ...
... The author considers this the most comprehensive and systematic review in the area of Reiki research. Of the 26 studies that entered the Touchstone Process, only 12 articles [6,[16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26] were assessed to have "robust research designs and well-established outcome parameters" [1]. These articles were assessed as "Very Good" or "Excellent" by at least 1 reviewer and were not considered "weak" by any reviewer of the Touchstone Process team [3,5]. ...
... This is not completely true. Several studies have used the patient samples [e.g., 6,[15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30]. ...
Reiki is a noninvasive, nondiagnostic, and nondirective hands-on healing therapy which is believed to promote healing and a state of well-being in all living things. In recent years, its popularity has increased and as a biofield or energy therapy it is being used as a complementary modality with the conventional medical care in a variety of settings. Reiki is a Japanese term meaning universal life force which is believed to flow from the hands of a practitioner to a willing recipient's body facilitating physical, emotional, or spiritual healing depending on the needs of the recipient. This article provides a comprehensive review of the information available about Reiki in the areas of its history and development, nature of training and treatment protocol, practice ethics, empirical research and challenges for the researchers, guidelines for future research, and current applications. There is a vast amount of anecdotal, published, unpublished, and Internet information available on the subject of Reiki and its use as a healing modality with discrepancies among many sources. This article attempts to sort out and present only that information which is accepted by majority of the Reiki practitioners and as such is an informative reading for all health practitioners.
... [22] According to the effectiveness of BEE on depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms, it seems to be suited for the therapeutic demands of patients with IBS. [23][24][25][26][27] Furthermore, due to the commonalities of MBCT and the BEE program in modalities such as cognitive, behavioral, mindful, and body-centered approaches, they are a perfect pair for comparison. Additionally, considering the presence of other influential factors within the BEE, such as spiritual and energy dimensions, this bodycentered approach may have a noticeable impact on improving anxiety and depression in patients with IBS. ...
BACKGROUND
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most common functional gastrointestinal disorder causing a great burden on patients’ lives due to its physical and psychological symptoms. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) has previously alleviated IBS symptoms. Bioenergy economy (BEE) is a novel mind-body intervention that has shown moderating effects on many psychological and physical symptoms, particularly in chronic diseases. This research aimed to compare the effectiveness of MBCT and BEE on IBS symptom severity, somatic symptoms, depression, and anxiety.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This study was conducted using a quasi-experimental method with a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up design with a control group in Isfahan, Iran. Forty-five patients with IBS were divided into two experimental and one control group (15 subjects in each group). The patients were assessed using the ROME III Diagnostic Criteria for IBS, IBS Severity Index (IBS-SI), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Beck Anxiety Inventory, and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-15) before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance, and SPSS-22 software was used.
RESULTS
The findings showed that MBCT and BEE both had significant effects on the IBS symptom severity, somatic symptoms, depression, and anxiety ( P < 0.01), but there was no significant difference between the mean scores of the two experimental groups in any of the post-test or the follow-up stages ( P > 0.05). This concludes that there was no difference between the effectiveness of MBCT and BEE programs ( P > 0.05).
CONCLUSION
Although both interventions had significant results in improving patients’ symptoms, the BEE program had a stronger and wider range of effectiveness.
... Users of CAM modalities, including spiritual healing, often report symptom relief, improved physiological and emotional coping, 22 an alternative to pharmaceuticals, 23 and a valued patient-practitioner relationship. 24 Spiritual healing has shown promise for patients with depression [25][26][27] and is associated with a low risk of adverse effects according to two studies by Carneiro et al. (2020Carneiro et al. ( , 2024 28,29 and a systematic review from 2015. 30 Research indicates that depression is a strong predictor of CAM use, 31,32 especially when conventional psychological or psychiatric services are inaccessible. ...
... This subgroup analysis indicated significantly lower scores in anxiety among individuals who received interventions compared to control for both subgroups. The estimates of the studies within the anxiety with physical conditions subgroup were more (Boelens et al., 2009) Journal Article USA RCT Healthcare Settings Low (Carneiro, Tosta et al., 2020) Journal Article Brazil RCT Healthcare Settings Low Journal Article Brazil RCT Healthcare Settings Moderate (Carneiro et al., 2017) Journal Article Brazil RCT Healthcare Settings Low (Cleland et al., 2006) Journal Article Scotland RCT Healthcare Settings Low (Cavalcante et al., 2016) Journal Article Brazil RCT Healthcare Settings Moderate (Gerard et al., 2003) Journal Article Scotland RCT Healthcare Settings Very Low (Jain, 2009) Thesis/Dissertation USA RCT Healthcare Settings Low (Miranda et al., 2020) Journal Article Brazil RCT Healthcare Settings Low (Nikfarjam et al., 2018) Journal Article Iran RCT Healthcare Settings Very Low (Palmer, 1998) Thesis/Dissertation USA RCT Church Very Low (Rajagopal et al., 2018) Journal Article India RCT Healthcare Settings Low (Shore, 2002) Thesis/Dissertation USA RCT Healing Centre Low (Sundblom et al., 1994) Journal homogenous as compared to the estimates of the studies included in the without physical conditions subgroup ( Figure 2). ...
We investigated the effectiveness of interventions provided by traditional healers for common mental disorders (CMDs) together with associated barriers and facilitators. Electronic databases including MEDLINE, APA Psych Info, Allied and Complementary Medicine, Embase, CINAHL, Social Science Citation Index, and Scopus were searched from inception until October 2021. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) assessing interventions by traditional healers for CMDs and qualitative and mixed-methods studies examining traditional healers and their attendees' views about the treatment of CMDs by traditional healers were included. Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment tool (RoB-1) and Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) were used for the quality assessment of studies. A meta-analysis and thematic synthesis were conducted. Sixteen RCTs (1,132 participants) and 17 qualitative or mixed-methods studies (380 participants) were included. Improvement in symptoms was greater for interventions by traditional healers compared to control groups for both depression and anxiety. Subgroup analyses indicated that only "spiritual passe" interventions showed improvement in depression and anxiety, and participants with co-morbid anxiety and physical conditions showed improvement in anxiety. Facilitators to engaging with interventions by traditional healers were shared faith-based world-view exhibited by traditional healers and their attendees and perceived effectiveness of traditional healing. Stigma and concealing mental illness were found to be barriers not only to formal healthcare but also to traditional healers' services. Interventions by traditional healers such as "spiritual passe" are effective in improving CMDs. However, evidence is still limited due to the low quality of studies and lack of long-term evidence.
... Distance biofield healing approaches have been defined as "intentional healing modalities claimed to transcend the usual constraints of distance through space or time" (Radin, 2015). To date, research on distance biofield healing has shown promise for addressing physical and mental health concerns including pain, anxiety, post-operative symptoms, cancer treatment symptoms, and depression (Miranda, 2020;Dimir, 2015;Vandervaart, 2011;Shore, 2004). However, the distance healing approaches used and the study designs employed have been heterogeneous, making it difficult to draw conclusions about the effects of distance healing. ...
Research questions:
How do participants with anxiety receiving distance healing using tuning forks, experience healing sessions? What outcomes do they spontaneously report?
Theoretical framework:
Modified grounded theory, using single interviews to learn about experiences with distant sound healing.
Methodology:
Standardized open-ended, qualitative interviews of 30-minute length were conducted after the intervention and analyzed using an inductive and iterative process for identifying themes, categories, and patterns in qualitative data.
Context:
Single-arm, pilot feasibility study of Biofield Tuning (BT) for anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic delivered at a distance facilitated by Zoom (without video).
Sample selection:
A total of 15 participants were recruited to this study: 13 completed all quantitative aspects, and the 12 who completed the interviews are reported here.
Data collection:
The 30-minute qualitative interviews were designed to understand the impact of virtual BT sessions on the participant's experience, anxiety, and within the larger context of their life. The Self-Assessment of Change measured subjective shifts pre and post treatment.
Analysis and interpretation:
The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed using otter.ai. Two researchers read all the transcripts, identified key themes within the broader experience of sessions and outcomes categories, and came to consensus on key themes using a qualitative research analysis approach.
Main results:
Participants were surprised by the degree to which they felt sensations and heard tuning fork changes. They commented on the accuracy of the healers' perceptions and comprehension of their life experiences. Participants reported positive shifts in perceptions of themselves and their surroundings, both interpersonally and in response to triggers. The patients' own words provide insight into the lived experiences of healing, and guide future research.
... Their average baseline BDI-II score was 11.85 which is lower than in the samples analyzed here. After a total of six weekly treatment sessions, each lasting one to one-and-a-half hours, the BDI-II scores improved by 60% and 73% through contact and distance sessions, respectively [35]. Dressen and Singg also applied the BDI-II to investigate the effects of ten Reiki sessions on symptoms of depression in patients suffering from chronic pain [36]. ...
Introduction:
Anxiety, burnout and depression cause a substantial psychological and social burden. Bioenergetic Meditation (BM) was developed by Viktor Philippi as a method to strengthen psychological and physical health. This work presents the results of four feasibility studies investigating the effects of BM developed by Viktor Philippi as a support for people suffering from these psychological disorders.
Materials & methods:
A total of four prospective, non-randomized feasibility studies were conducted (N1=185, N2=140, N3=33, N4=32). Studies 1 and 2 were multicentric studies with a pre-post comparison consisting of 10 BMs within 10 weeks with individual study start and end points. Studies 3 and 4 consisted of 7 BMs within 3 days with a pre-post evaluation and follow-up measurements at 6, 12 and 18 months. The Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and Hamburg Burnout Inventory (HBI) were used to measure symptoms of anxiety, depression and burnout, respectively.
Results:
After 10 BMs within 10 weeks, highly reliable decreases in symptoms of depression occurred in 40-73% of cases (p<0.005). The median BDI-II score declined significantly by 60% (p<0.0001) after 10 weeks of BM. Symptoms of anxiety were highly reliably reduced in roughly one third of cases after 10 weekly BMs, with the average total BAI score declining from a severe to a moderate anxiety (p<0.0001). The HBI showed significant improvement in all subscales. Psychological symptoms also improved significantly after 7 BMs and symptom reductions classified as highly reliable were maintained until 18 months follow-up in more than 50% of participants.
Conclusion:
BM results in significant and lasting improvements in clinical symptoms of anxiety, depression and burnout. Further studies including control groups are necessary to confirm these findings and determine any BM-specific effects.
... However, the study findings were comparable to other distant Reiki studies. Shore 34 and Demir et al's 35 study suggested that distant Reiki was an effective stress reducing intervention compared with sham Reiki or control. , Other distant Reiki studies suggested the distant Reiki intervention was statistically significant in reducing heart rate and blood pressure post-surgery, which may be closely linked to physiological responses found in perceived stress and anxiety. ...
An increasing number of individuals are reporting increased stress and anxiety associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. A feasibility, mixed-method design was conducted to investigate distant Reiki as a virtual healing modality within Rogers' framework of the Science of Unitary Human Beings. Data were collected using pre- and post-distant Reiki session interviews and 2 surveys. Study findings demonstrated changes in participant pattern manifestation and statistically significant reductions in perceived stress and anxiety (P < .001). The preliminary findings support the feasibility of distant Reiki and suggest that nurses, who are Reiki practitioners, may influence the human-environmental field to foster healing.
... He found that six human randomized control trials of Reiki therapy showed positive results and the other five with negative findings [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]. We were able to identify an additional 4 placebo controlled randomized controlled trials of Reiki, and two found statistically significant beneficial findings while the other two found no difference between Reiki and placebo Reiki [24][25][26][27]. Thus, the results of placebo controlled randomized controlled trials remains mixed. ...
Reiki is a form of energy healing that has gained popularity in the United States, but there remains skepticism about its scientific validity. This study examines the ability of Reiki practitioners (RP) to detect human energy fields (HEF). Volunteer RP were asked to identify the location of a human hand under blinded conditions for a total of 20 trials. Four potential options existed for subjects (right, left, both, or neither); thus, random chance would predict a success rate of 25%. A success rate of >40% was considered significant, and these individuals would be asked to conduct another 40 trials. A control group of non-energy trained volunteers were also asked to complete the same task. A total of 67, mainly female (91%), RP participated in this study. The majority were Reiki Masters (90%) and practiced Reiki an average of 11.4 years (±6.2, 1.5-24). They had a mean success rate of detecting HEF of 25.4%, (median 5 ± 1.8, 1-10), while the control group (n = 25) had an average success rate of 24.2% (median 5 ± 1.6, 2-8). One subject met criteria for repeat testing for a final 42% accuracy rate. Level of training (masters versus level II), years of experience (>10), age (>60), female sex, handedness, or time to detect HEF (average >20 sec) did not correlate to an increase in accuracy for RP. RPs’ ability to HEF was equivalent to chance and similar to the control group of non-energy trained volunteers. The mechanism by which reiki provides benefits to patients is still unknown, and while this study indicates that it may not be through the manipulation of energy fields, alternate explanations include physical touch and healing touch, both of which should be explored in future research.
... A study demonstrated that physical stress decreased after 20 minutes of Reiki; while mental stress was not reduced by other therapies (Witte and Dundes, 2001). Another study reported that distance Reiki reduction depression and stress (Shore, 2004). As same as another study reported that Reiki reduced physiological effects of stress (Baldwin et al., 2008). ...
... Repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni test showed that group education through an audio podcast reduced heart rate in the posttest compared to the pretest; however, this effect was only significant after a month of follow-up. This finding is consistent with that of similar studies (Friedberg et al., 2007;Toussaint et al., 2012;Derakhshan et al., 2016;Keyvanipour et al., 2019;Shore, 2004). However, in the present study, the effect of this intervention on the improvement of blood pressure and respiration rate was not confirmed in either the posttest or follow-up. ...
Background: Many treatments make the life of coronary heart patients longer, but they require more psychosocial and spiritual support for a meaningful life. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of a bioenergy economy (BBE)-based psycho-education package on improvement of vegetative function, forgiveness, and quality of life (QOL) of patients with coronary heart disease (CHD).
Methods: In this clinical trial, using convenient sampling, 40 patients were selected from among patients referring to Bohlool Hospital in Gonabad, Iran, and were randomly assigned to the 2 case and control groups. First, the vegetative function checklist, Forgiveness Likelihood Scale, and World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL)-BREF questionnaire were completed for all the participants. Then, the case group received 8 sessions of group training for 180 minutes. After the training and the 1-month follow-up, both groups completed the questionnaires again. Finally, all data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) in SPSS software.
Results: The results showed a significant difference in heart rate, forgiveness, and QOL and its physical and psychological dimensions between the case group and control group after training (P < 0.05). The post hoc test showed that heart rate decreased significantly in the posttest compared to the pretest and forgiveness, and QOL and its physical and psychological dimensions increased significantly (P < 0.05). However, heart rate increased significantly in the follow-up compared to the posttest and forgiveness, and QOL and its physical and psychological dimensions decreased significantly (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: It can be concluded that group education based on BEE as a complementary care system was effective on heart rate, forgiveness, and QOL and its physical and psychological dimensions.
... Studies conducted in different sample groups support our study findings. Shore applied Reiki by touching for 6 weeks, which had significantly reduced the stress symptoms, and differences were evident at 1 year later 40 43 . A study, which could provide data on caregiver burnout, reported that the parasympathetic nervous system was affected in the group of nurses who received Reiki 44 . ...
Objective
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Reiki on stress levels of individuals caring for patients with cancer.
Methods
The study was conducted a pretest–posttest, single-blind randomized controlled trial and qualitative study using a semi-structured in-depth interview. In this study, 42 women who were primary caregivers of patients with cancer treated in a university hospital were randomized to Reiki and sham Reiki groups. The sample size was calculated based on the difference in Caregiver Strain Index (CSI) scores before and after the intervention. According to the power analysis, with α = 0.05 and β = 0.20, the effect size was 1.71 and the power 99%. The Reiki group received Reiki to nine main points for 45 min, once a week for 6 weeks, while the sham Reiki group received the same points during the same period without starting energy flow. CSI scores and salivary cortisol levels were evaluated at baseline and at the end of the study, whereas systolic and diastolic blood pressure and pulse rate were evaluated before and after application every week. After the study, the opinions of the Reiki group on Reiki experience were collected by using a questionnaire consisting of semi-structured questions.
Results
Post-intervention CSI scores declined in the Reiki group compared with that in the sham Reiki group (p < 0.05). No significant difference was found between the groups in terms of saliva cortisol levels (p > 0.05). According to the results of the general linear model repeated measure and Friedman tests, which were conducted to evaluate the change in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and pulse rate over a 6-week period, the values of these parameters decreased before and after each application compared with the caregivers in the sham Reiki group (p < 0.05). All caregivers stated that they found the caring process less stressful after the Reiki sessions and felt relieved compared with the pre-therapy period, and some of their physical complaints decreased.
Conclusion
Reiki reduces the stress levels of caregivers, is effective in regulating blood pressure and pulse rate, does not cause a significant change on saliva cortisol level, and provides relief to caregivers.
... Finally, the present study only examined individuals diagnosed with RAD; therefore, findings may or may not generalize to other psychiatric illnesses. Limited data exists for the potential use of HT for psychiatric disorders beyond anxiety and depression (Shore, 2004). Future studies may expand on the use of HT with attachment impairment and other psychiatric and/or behavioral issues. ...
Reactive attachment disorder (RAD), and the use of Healing Touch Therapy
... They refer both to a reworking of thoughts and to a re-enactment of recent and remote memories, and that after the session they felt mentally more relaxed; this is in line with what is already known about the effects of Reiki session on mental health. 16,17 It would be interesting in the future to further explore these dynamics accurately as Reiki could also be used as a complementary technique in psychotherapy, conscious psycho-investigation, and assisted or autonomous psychoanalysis for the session of mental and/or emotional traumas. ...
Background:
Reiki is a very popular method of natural healing used for prevention but also for the complementary session of many human disorders and diseases, including depression, anxiety, and various kind of chronic conditions, but also for the relief of pain and to promote relaxation and general well-being.
Primary study objective:
The scope of this study has been to evaluate the effect of Reiki in subjects who have never received before a Reiki session and that did not know its effects or its methodological practices excluding the variables responsible for the placebo effect.
Methods/design:
A heterogeneous group of 70 volunteers, both men and women, was chosen for this study, and the results reported in this paper were obtained by analyzing the responses to questionnaires using a Likert scale.
Results:
From this study demonstrated that a Reiki style of energy practice is capable of bringing people to relax in the presence of environmental disturbances and in the absence of other adjuvant techniques, such as aromatherapy, music-therapy, and preliminary relaxation, responsible for the placebo effect. The most significant effects and sensations detected from questionnaires are a perception of heat during the session, an increase in relaxation, an improvement in mood, a sense of relief, and in general an increase of well-being.
Conclusion:
These findings are significant also because are related to the Reiki technique alone. However, further studies are needed to better understand its mechanisms of action and assessing its effects both on the physical body and on the emotional and psycho-spiritual part of the individual.
... Some studies have evaluated the effectiveness of the Reiki method in the treatment of depression (Bowden et al., 2011;Richeson et al., 2010;Shore, 2004). Recent studies have shown that Reiki has been effective in reducing anxiety and depression in the elderly, (Richeson et al., 2010); among university students (Bowden et al., 2011); among adolescents (Charkhandeh et al., 2016) and among patients with cancer (Fleisher et al., 2014). ...
Background
There is a scarcity of studies in the international literature regarding alternative treatment to the pharmacological and psychotherapeutic intervention in the face of depression symptoms. This study aimed to test a protocol based on natural therapy, alternatives to pharmacological and psychotherapeutic, through Mindfulness Meditation, Reiki, Acupuncture and Auriculotherapy, to treat the symptoms of depression for those who were with no pharmacological or psychotherapeutic treatment for these symptoms.
Methods
this is a randomized single-blind controlled pilot study. The final sample was 21 participants divided in two groups: experimental and control. Participants were evaluated by validated instruments during the screening process and after the intervention. The instruments were: Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale and Beck Depression Inventory. Intervention was performed in eight sessions, during two months. All the techniques were used in the experimental group. Analysis of variance with repeated measures was used to compare pre-intervention to post-intervention moments.
Results
the result of analysis indicates a significant reduction in the symptoms of depression after the intervention among the experimental group.
Limitations
there is no way to determine which of the techniques used produced the most significant result.
Conclusions
The protocol proposed in this study was effective in reducing the symptoms of depression to whom are not eligible for traditional treatment.
... Çalışma, aynı zamanda, sonuçların uzun vadede devam ettiğini ve semptom farklılıklarının 1 yıl sonra da sürdüğünü ortaya koymuştur. 53 Masaj, dinlenme ve reikinin girişimsiz kontrol grubuna göre stresi azaltmadaki etkilerinin araştırıldığı bir çalışmada, 4 hafta boyunca haftada 2 kez reiki ve masajın uygulandığı gruplarda girişimsiz kontrol grubuna göre daha az stres düzeyi bildirilmiştir. 54 Bakım verici tükenmişliği ile ilgili olarak, reikinin sağlık çalışanlarında da tükenmişlik ve stres semptomlarında etkili olduğu belirtilmiştir. ...
... The project intended to investigate if Reiki may be an effective and safe option for improving wellbeing in patients with blood cancer. Reiki therapy has been used for a variety of health issues and studies have demonstrated different effects: (1) a significant reduction of pain, depression, and anxiety in chronically ill people who received Reiki treatments compared with sham Reiki (Dressin & Singg, 1998); (2) hands-on Reiki or distance Reiki significantly reduced mild depression and stress (Shore, 2004); (3) Reiki was effective as a self-care intervention based on interviews with 11 nurses trained in Reiki (Vitale, 2007), and (4) Reiki significantly reduced physiological effects of stress in rats compared with sham Reiki (Baldwin, Wagers & Schwartz, 2008). We were interested in studying this topic because the members of the Alarcão team are all Reiki Masters, and are convinced of the added value of Reiki therapy on the quality of life of patients with blood cancer. ...
Discipline Medicine [D23] Sub-discipline Cancer / Oncology [SD-MD-3]
... Claims of a distant healing effect rest on a postulated nonlocal role of consciousness that cannot be explained by contemporary scientific models. Findings of a small sham-controlled study reported that regular Reiki treatments may reduce symptoms of depressed mood and stress (Shore, 2004). Recent reviews of clinical trials on Reiki focused on different health problems, used different methodologies and reported disparate findings. ...
The limitations of current treatments in psychiatry are reviewed. As many as one half of individuals being treated for a psychiatric “disorder” fail to respond or respond only partially to psychotropic medications and other conventional Western medical treatments and are labeled “treatment-resistant” or “non-responders.” The role of placebo and nocebo effects in Western medicine and CAM is discussed. Safety, liability, and ethical issues in integrative mental health care are reviewed. Research findings are providing evidence for safety and efficacy of select CAM treatments of depressed mood, anxiety, and other mental health problems, including pharmaceutical-grade natural products, lifestyle modifications, and others. The major categories of CAM modalities used to treat mental health problems and to maintain wellness are introduced. The goals of integrative mental health care are described and safety and ethical issues are reviewed. A methodology for selecting appropriate modalities when planning integrative care is presented, including considerations of treatment precedence and treatment selection when managing moderate versus severe symptoms. Strategies are described for developing a realistic treatment plan that is both acceptable and affordable to the patient. The treatment plan should be reviewed and modified until the most effective realistic combination of Western medical and CAM treatments has been identified and successfully implemented. Methods are developed for refining and optimizing the integrative treatment plan and evaluating compatibility and synergy between two or more modalities. Considerations of ongoing care versus termination are discussed.
... En basit psikolojik zorlanma ve ruhsal çatışmada serbest yağ asitleri, kortizol ve kan şekeri artmakta ve stres altındaki organizmada artan glukagon, katekolaminler, kortizol, büyüme hormonu hiperglisemiye ve ketonemiye yol açmaktadır[19].Shore AG. ve ark[20]. Depresyon ve stres semptomları için tedaviye ihtiyacı olan hastalarla yaptığı depresyonun psikolojik semptomları ve algılanan stres üzerine enerji terapisinin uzun süreli etkileri adlı çalışmasında elle Reiki uygulanan grubun stres semptomlarında anlamlı düşme olduğunu bildirmiştir. ...
In the integrated approach, in which complementary practices are
combined with modern medicine, the aim is to create a healing environment, to
raise awareness of the individual and to reveal the self-healing potential.
Scientific work on the therapeutic effect of Reiki administration on glucosone
control in reducing anxiety and stress, increasing quality of life in diabetic
patients is extremely scarce. This study was compiled to be both informative
and helpful to subsequent studies due to the lack of studies about the effects
of Reiki in the treatment of diabetic patients.
... I en RCT-studie (Shore, 2004) ...
Finns det vetenskap och beprövad erfarenhet bakom Reiki? I studien beskrivs hur Reiki används inom klinisk vård och vad det finns för vetenskaplig grund för metoden.
... Nursing manuals describe how nurses can strengthen patients' life force or vital energy, also by including the use of treatments developed by energy medicine (Dossey, Keegan, Guzzetta, & Kolkmeier, 1995;Egeland, 2008;Leddy, 2003). Initial research has shown that such treatments can reduce depressive symptoms significantly (Shore, 2004). Thus health scientists and natural scientists confirm the informants' experiences of their nurses transmitting vitality and energy to them. ...
... En viktig faktor för att komma ifrån alkoholmissbruk är att förbättra det psykiska välbefinnandet (7), och reiki är en komplementär metod som kan ha en potential att öka det psykiska välbefinnandet (8)(9)(10). ...
Syfte: Att beskriva hur personer under avvänjning av alkoholberoende upplever effekter av den energimedicinska metoden reiki och dess påverkan på alkoholberoendet.
Bakgrund: Ett behandlingshem för alkohol- och drogavvänjning i Australien har sedan 1992 använt reikimetoden med framgång. Reiki har visat sig ha en potential att minska depression och oro och är integrerad inom klinisk vård i USA.
Metod: Nio personer under alkoholavvänjning fick cirka sju reikibehandlingar vardera. Deras upplevelser av effekterna efteråt dokumenterades genom kvalitativa intervjuer och narrativ metod.
Resultat: Analysen visar ett övergripande tema: Naturliga processer mot ökat harmoniskt normaltillstånd och minskat alkoholbehov. Temat innefattar två kategorier: Psykiska förändringar och personlig utveckling, samt Fysiska processer.
Slutsatser: Resultatet pekar på att reikimetoden kan vara en kompletterande metod vid alkoholavvänjning då den kan ge ökat välbefinnande och minskat alkoholbehov. Samtidigt kan processerna dit innebära tillfälliga obehag. Fler studier behövs som belyser reikimetodens komplementära effekter.
... While psychosocial interventions are recommended in typical obesity management, there frequently is not time to comprehensively address these issues in primary care. Moreover, many physicians do not recommend IM therapies such as Reiki therapy or qigong, both of which have been shown to reduce psychological symptoms in the immediate and long-term [41,42]. ...
Background
Obesity is a significant public health issue with no consensus regarding optimal medical management. Integrative medicine (IM) may help to fill this gap.
Objectives
(1) To characterize the sociodemographics, psychosocial functioning, health behaviors, and current medical conditions across BMI classifications in patients seeking IM; and (2) to examine how patients’ reasons for seeking IM care, treatment goals, services sought, and services provided differ based on BMI.
Methods
Survey data were collected from patients seeking care at nine BraveNet IM centers. Sociodemographics, psychosocial health, lifestyle behaviors, and reasons for seeking specific IM services were compared across BMI categories using Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, or one-way analysis of variance. Logistical regression was used to compare reasons for seeking IM care, treatment goals, and services sought and provided across BMI categories.
Results
2015 patients were included in this study; 300 (14.9%) were obese and 580 (28.8%) were overweight. Obese patients were more likely to be non-White, unmarried, and uninsured, and have lower education, lower income, and at least one chronic disease (p < 0.05). They also had the lowest rates of aerobic activity (67.4% exercise < 3×/week, p < 0.01), and greater depression (CESD-10 score 10.1 ± 6.6, p < 0.01), stress (PSS score 6.3 ± 3.5, p < 0.01), fatigue (avg 5.5 ± 2.4 on scale 1–10, p < 0.01), and pain (avg 3.6 ± 2.5 on scale 1–10, p < 0.01). Obese patients were more likely to seek manipulative/body-based services (OR = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.10–1.93, p < 0.05) and to seek and receive energy therapies (seek: OR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.07–2.07; receive: OR = 2.56, 95% CI = 1.28–5.10), but less likely to seek IM care for greater compatibility with their beliefs and culture (OR = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.53–0.97). There were no significant differences between BMI categories for IM treatment goals.
Conclusion
Obese adults seeking IM care may represent a unique patient population with potential unmet health needs. IM may provide approaches to more effectively address the multifaceted complexities of obesity.
Background: Biofield Therapies, with a historical lineage spanning millennia and continuing relevance in contemporary practices, have been used to address various health conditions and promote wellbeing. The scientific study and adoption of these therapies have been hindered by cultural challenges and institutional barriers. In addition, the current research landscape for Biofield Therapies is insufficiently documented.
Objectives: This scoping review aims to comprehensively document the peer-reviewed research landscape of Biofield Therapies. Furthermore, an online searchable and dynamic Evidence Map was created to serve as a publicly accessible tool for querying the evidence base, pinpointing research gaps, and identifying areas requiring further exploration.
Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and PsycInfo databases was conducted from inception through January 2024. Peer-reviewed interventional studies in English involving human participants receiving Biofield Therapy were included. Data on study design, population, intervention, comparator, outcomes, citation details, and direction of results reported were extracted and synthesized into two summary tables and three data tables.
Results: In total, 353 studies in 352 published reports were included: 255 randomized controlled trials, 36 controlled clinical trials, and 62 pre-post study designs. Named biofield interventions included Reiki (n = 88), Therapeutic Touch (n = 71), Healing Touch (n = 31), intercessory prayer (n = 21), External Qigong (n = 16), Spiritual Healing/Spiritual Passé/Laying-on-of-hands (n = 14), “distant or remote healing” (n = 10), and Gentle Human Touch/Yakson Therapeutic Touch (n = 9). Also included were 56 studies in 55 reports involving bespoke, unknown, or other interventions, 20 studies involving multimodal interventions, and 17 studies involving multiple biofield interventions. Studies encompassed a wide variety of populations, most commonly healthy volunteers (n = 67), pain (n = 55), and cancer (n = 46). As reported in the Abstracts, nearly half of the studies (n = 172) reported positive results in favor of the Biofield Therapy for all outcomes being investigated, 95 reported mixed results, 71 reported nonsignificant results, 3 reported negative results, and 12 studies did not report the direction of results.
Conclusions: Despite rising interest in Biofield Therapies among researchers, practitioners, and patients, the integration of these interventions into allopathic medical systems is hindered by challenges in researching these therapies and inconsistent reporting. These issues contribute to inconclusive findings, which limit our understanding of the efficacy of Biofield Therapies for specific conditions. The resulting scoping review and interactive Evidence Map aim to empower stakeholders to overcome these obstacles, thereby strengthening the evidence for the potential adoption of Biofield Therapies as future integrative care options in allopathic medicine.
The gastrointestinal tract (GIT), ranging from the mouth to the anus, is a complex system that includes the upper and lower gastrointestinal organs as well as the liver and gallbladder. This system facilitates the entry, absorption, and conversion of nutrients into feces. Structural and functional changes in the organs within this system can lead to the development of numerous conditions that hinder nutrition and food absorption, manifesting with various symptoms and findings, diminishing the individual’s quality of life, and even threatening their life. Digestive system diseases can cause a variety of problems in patients depending on their type and severity, potentially leading to serious complications if left untreated. Patients with gastrointestinal malignancies and advanced liver disease represent a significant group in palliative care. Additionally, approximately 80% of all palliative care patients struggle with gastrointestinal symptoms at some point in their lives. Dysphagia, anorexia, malnutrition, cachexia, gastrointestinal bleeding, ascites, pain, constipation, and diarrhea are gastrointestinal problems that not only affect patients with GIT diseases but also require palliative care, particularly in the last days of life. Palliative Care Nurse should determine the palliative care needs of the patient by taking into account the cultural beliefs and values of the patient and family, and to solve the problems specific to gastrointestinal disease, the patient’s physical, mental and social relaxation and the palliative care team and the palliative care service of the patient active from the palliative care service of the patient It should ensure that it is somehow to benefit. The patient and his family should inform them about the attempts that they can apply to cope with symptoms related to the disease and the situations that require them to apply to the hospital.
Keywords: Gastrointestinal system diseases, palliative care
Non‐pharmacological interventions include physical activity, biofield energy therapy, reiki, Tai chi, and therapeutic touch. However, no reports analyzed the effectiveness of biofield therapy on cognition and motor function performance in adult subjects. The study aimed to investigate the impact of remote biofield energy healing therapy on cognition and motor functioning in adults with self‐perceived neuropsychological impairments. This was a randomized double‐blind clinical trial that involved 114 participants with self‐perceived neuropsychological impairments. The participants were divided into three groups (control, sham control, and biofield intervention). Cognitive and motor function scores were assessed using the NIH Toolbox at baseline (day 0), day 90, and day 180. The biofield treatment group showed significant improvements in language function (p < 0.0001), working memory (p < 0.0001), and episodic memory (p < 0.0001) scores. Other cognitive functions also improved, although not statistically significant. The biofield intervention group also demonstrated significant enhancements (p < 0.05 to p < 0.0001) in locomotion, standing balance, dexterity, grip strength, and muscle endurance. No adverse effects were reported. The results suggest that remote biofield energy therapy is a safe, noninvasive intervention that improves cognitive and motor functions in adults. Further research is needed to understand its clinical benefits.
Scientifically implausible treatments are offered by some hospital cancer departments. Examples are reiki, aromatherapy, and reflexology. Salaried practitioners are employed to deliver these therapies, which are provided as palliative care, although they lack evidence of effectiveness. Such practices seem to conflict with efforts to make health care evidence based.
The aim of this survey was to estimate the extent of certain pseudoscientific practices in cancer care departments in NHS hospitals in England, and to evaluate the rationale for such provision.
Relevant documents were requested from NHS Trusts under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). Main outcome measures were: number of trusts offering pseudoscientific practices in cancer departments, time to full FOIA response, presence and content of practice governance documents, and presence and quality of evidence for practices.
13.6% of eligible NHS trusts were offering pseudoscientific clinical practices. No trust provided a valid business case, or any robust evidence for the practices. The governance documents included claims about chakras, meridians, and invisible energy. Ten trusts required that informed consent be obtained from patients. This could not have been obtained because information given was misleading.
Conclusions
Pseudoscientific practices are embedded in the NHS in England, and governance documents show poor understanding of clinical evidence.
Les recherches sur les thérapies complémentaires et alternatives se développent progressivement dans le champ médical et psychologique et regroupent de nombreuses approches. Les pratiques de soins énergétiques, encore peu connues, sous-tendent l’existence d’un champ d’énergie indéterminé autour du corps. Elles attirent l’attention des anthropologues depuis les années soixante, mais également des patients qui augmentent grandement les consultations chez ces praticiens. Il est très ardu d’aborder ces notions sous un angle scientifique, en raison d’un manque de méthodes et d’un espace épistémologique encore peu fourni. De ce fait, c’est sous un angle phénoménologique, que nous allons aborder cette question, qui va consister, après avoir présenté un encadrement théorique sur l’histoire de ces approches et quelques grilles de lecture explicatives, à analyser ces pratiques thérapeutiques de guérisseurs énergéticiens. Pour cela, d’un point de vue méthodologique, nous allons capitaliser le discours et les représentations de 12 guérisseurs à l’aide d’entretiens exploratoires et d’analyses de contenu thématique, que nous allons regrouper sous des thèmes centraux en fonction de leur fréquence d’apparition dans les discours. Les résultats mettent en lumière le concept central d’énergie vitale déjà présent dans la littérature du 19e siècle et les manipulations de celui-ci par les guérisseurs, en soulignant les concepts de chakras, de soins non locaux, de prière, de visualisation, de force des émotions et de ressenti du thérapeute, que l’on retrouve dans la littérature spécialisée. Les thématiques du diagnostic et du soin via les mains du guérisseur, ainsi que les limites et le champ déontologique de ces pratiques apparaissent aussi dans le discours comme thématiques importantes. Cette recherche embryonnaire de terrain doit donner lieu à une étude englobant un nombre plus important de praticiens afin de faire émerger des hypothèses de travail sur les processus thérapeutiques et l’efficacité de ces approches.
Introduction
Depression is a common mental disorder and the (global) leading cause of all non-fatal burden of disease worldwide. Currently, supported treatment for depression is antidepressant medication and different psychotherapeutic interventions. Many patients experience, however, adverse effects of antidepressant medication, while at the same time the access to psychotherapeutic interventions are limited. Many patients who suffer from depression turn to complementary medicine and among those modalities often spiritual healing. There is some evidence that consulting a spiritual healer can be beneficial for patients who suffer from depression, and that spiritual healing is associated with low risk. The aim of this protocol is to conduct a pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) (spiritual healing as addition to usual care vs usual care alone) in preparation of a larger trial in adults with moderate depression, to examine feasibility and individuals’ experience of spiritual healing.
Methods and analysis
This study is a pilot RCT with two parallel groups. A total of 28 adult patients with moderate depression, diagnosed by the physician and according to the Montgomery and Åsberg Depression Rating Scale criteria will be randomised to spiritual healing in addition to usual care (n=14) or usual care alone (n=14). To determine if there is a statistical indication of an effect of healing warranting a full-scale study; the separation test will be used. To investigate participants’ experience with spiritual healing, a qualitative study will be included using semistructured interviews. The data will be analysed based on a direct content analysis.
Ethics and dissemination
This protocol was approved by regional committees for medical and health research ethics by the identifier (63692). The results will be disseminated through open-access, peer-reviewed publications, in addition to stakeholders’ reporting and presenting at conferences.
Trial registration
Norwegian Centre for Research Data (845302) and clinicaltrials.gov (ID: NCT04766242 )
Nurses experience stress in the workplace. We evaluated the feasibility and effect of Reiki to relieve stress of staff nurses during a work shift. All Reiki treatments were completed without interruption and lasted 30 minutes. Stress scores, respiratory rate, and heart rate were significantly decreased immediately following the Reiki treatment.
More Americans are embracing complementary and integrative healing modalities such as Reiki to enhance the efficacy of allopathic medicine. It is important that nurses and other health care professionals be knowledgeable about these modalities. Reiki is a wellness practice that offers whole-person healing of body, mind, and spirit. The study of Reiki offers nurses an opportunity to care for themselves as well as create an optimal healing environment for their patients. This article offer nurses a comprehensive overview of the system of Reiki; it includes the core elements of Reiki, its history, Reiki training, and examples of its applications.
Health care organizations are responding to consumer demand by offering more complementary and integrative health services in inpatient, outpatient, and clinic settings. Nursing has long embraced energy-based modalities such as Reiki and has been at the forefront of introducing body, mind, and spirit healing practices into health care settings. This article describes how nurses can integrate Reiki into both their personal lives for self-care as well as their professional patient care practices. An overview of Reiki's integration into hospital systems is presented as well as Reiki's use with various patient populations. The status of Reiki research is discussed.
Poster, Winner Best Poster Presentation
The present study aimed to examine the efficacy Reiki on Perceived Stress among software professionals. The effect of Hands on reiki, Distance reiki and Distance reiki placebo was investigated in this study.120 software professionals from a software firm situated at Bangalore who met the inclusion exclusion criteria were taken up for the study. Sample was divided into four groups, hands on reiki group, distance reiki group, distance reiki placebo group and one control group (30 participants in each group). Hands on reiki and distance reiki healing were done for participants in the respective experimental groups for 5 minutes daily over 21 days. Distance reiki placebo group was not given any healing; the participants were just assured to be healed. Pre and post assessment was done for all three experimental groups. The control group was not given any intervention program however; the control group was assessed at two time intervals- pre and post assessment. The obtained data was analysed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA and paired t-test to assess statistically significant difference within the group and between the groups before and after assessment. The results of the study reveal that there is significant reduction in perceived stress for the hands on reiki group and the distance reiki group. There was no significant change in the perceived stress levels of the distance reiki placebo group and the control group from pre to post assessment.
There is an increasing interest in alternative healing in the United States. Healing touch has gained in popularity both within organized religious groups and in more secularized groups. Despite this interest, there are very few reports of the experiences of the healers and the recipients of these healings. This ethnographic report describes the healing sessions as well as the physical, emotional, visual, and interpretive experiences of both healers and recipients. The healings are contrasted with biomedicine according to setting, interaction, and the cognitive process involved in the treatment. Reflected values of each respective group are discussed.
Administered a scale designed to quantify hopelessness to 294 hospitalized suicide attempters, 23 general medical outpatients, 62 additional hospitalized suicide attempters, and 59 depressed psychiatric patients. The scale had a Kuder-Richardson-20 internal consistency coefficient of .93 and correlated well with the Stuart Future Test (SFT) and the pessimism item of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI; .60 and .63, respectively). The scale was also sensitive to changes in the patient's state of depression over time, as evidenced by a correlation of .49 with change scores on the SFT and .49 with the change scores on the BDI. Findings also indicate that depressed patients have an unrealistically negative attitude toward the future and that seriousness of suicidal intent is more highly correlated with negative expectancies than with depression. A principal-components factor analysis revealed 3 factors which tapped affective, motivational, and cognitive aspects of hopelessness. (16 ref)
A new diagnostic category entitled religious or spiritual problem has been included in the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) under Other Conditions That May Be a Focus of Clinical Attention. Along with several other changes, this category contributes significantly to the greater cultural sensitivity incorporated into DSM-IV. The authors review the approval process, including the changes that were made in both the proposed new category and the former V Code section of DSM-III-R. In addition, the definition, assessment methods, types, and clinical significance of religious and spiritual problems are clarified, along with the differential diagnostic issues raised by the definitional changes in the former V Code section. Finally, clinical issues involving cultural sensitivity and the implications for future research are addressed. The new category could help to promote a new relationship between psychiatry and the fields of religion and spirituality that will benefit both mental health professionals and those who seek their assistance.
Discusses spirituality as a viable idea in modern medical practice and offers illustrations of the way the issue expresses itself. It is contended that issues of abandonment, suffering, and loss of hope and meaning and the transitions from living to dying are essentially spiritual, not solely physiological, psychological, or social. In many instances all 3 contexts are interlinked. Discussed are spirituality and the well-being of patients; health beliefs and social explanations; healing, energy, and mental healing; a historical perspective on healing; and spiritual, mental, and energetic healing today. A community approach that includes the family and friends of the patient is said to be beneficial. The principal benefits include a lessening of state anxiety, improved general feelings of well-being, and an increasing spiritual awareness for the dying person regardless of gender, marital status, age, or diagnosis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
52 Ss not known to be psychically gifted were tested in a single run with a separate set of 9 tubes of a mixed culture of lac-negative and lac-positive strains of
Escherichia coli. Mutation of lac-negative to lac-positive was mentally promoted in 3 of the tubes, mentally inhibited in 3, and 3 of the tubes served as controls. The mutant ratio of lac-positive to total bacteria was greater in the promoted than in the inhibited tubes. Results are interpreted to suggest that the rate of bacterial mutation was psychokinetically affected. (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Research studies focusing on the psychometric properties of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) with psychiatric and nonpsychiatric samples were reviewed for the years 1961 through June, 1986. A meta-analysis of the BDI's internal consistency estimates yielded a mean coefficient alpha of 0.86 for psychiatric patients and 0.81 for nonpsychiatric subjects. The concurrent validitus of the BDI with respect to clinical ratings and the Hamilton Psychiatric Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) were also high. The mean correlations of the BDI samples with clinical ratings and the HRSD were 0. 72 and 0.73, respectively, for psychiatric patients. With nonpsychiatric subjects, the mean correlations of the BDI with clinical ratings and the HRSD were 0.60 and 0.74, respectively. Recent evidence indicates that the BDI discriminates subtypes of depression and differentiates depression from anxiety.
To compare the effectiveness of therapeutic touch and causal touch for stress reduction of hospitalized children aged 2 weeks to 2 years old.
Stress reduction was measured by pulse, peripheral skin temperature, and galvanic skin response as observed on the GSR-II biofeedback instrument.
An ANOVA measured effectiveness of the interventions of causal touch and therapeutic touch at 3 and 6 minute intervals. The results demonstrated a significant difference with the critical value of F = 4.18 p less than .05. The computed value of F = 26.98 at 3 minutes and F = 26.94 at 6 minutes.
Therapeutic touch reduced time needed to calm children after stressful experiences.
This study replicated and extended previous published research which suggests that therapeutic touch involves an energy exchange. The theorem that eye and facial contact between therapeutic touch practitioners and subjects should not be necessary to produce the effect of anxiety reduction was deduced from the Rogerian conceptual system and tested. This theorem was not supported. Numerous explanations for the failure of the hypotheses to be supported are posited, among them the impact of the research design, effects related to the investigator as practitioner, and medication. The influence of medication in particular is so pervasive in the sample that it would seem to be the most reasonable explanation.
Although hundreds of published studies have addressed the effects of religion on morbidity and mortality, many investigators may be unaware of this literature. This paper begins with an analysis of an important subset of these studies--those 27 which operationalize 'religiosity' as religious attendance--and which, taken as a whole, point to a consistent salutary effect for frequent attendance. Upon identifying several pervasive epistemological, methodological, and analytical problems with these studies, however, this paper shows that there is insufficient evidence to conclude that religious attendance is positively and significantly related to health. Nevertheless, the authors present a theoretical basis for expecting such associations. This framework is included in a brief primer on religion for epidemiologists and other sociomedical scientists interested in exploring the health-related effects of religious factors. Finally, a possible scenario for the development of an epidemiology of religion is discussed.
The purpose of this study was to compare terminally ill with healthy adults for differences in religiousness; sense of well-being also was explored. This study was based upon a conceptualization of dying as a developmental phase of life. It was hypothesized that terminally ill adults report greater religiousness than healthy adults. A terminally ill and a healthy group with 57 adults each were matched on four key variables: age, gender, education, and religious affiliation. All 114 participants completed two questionnaires: the Religious Perspective Scale and the Index of Well-Being. A t-test of differences between the group means supported the hypothesis (t (112) = 3.11, p less than .001). There was no difference between the groups on sense of well-being; both indicated moderately high levels of well-being. A positive relationship between religiousness and well-being was found in the healthy group (r = .43, p less than .001), but not in the terminally ill group.
Contemporary medicine has given little attention to the spiritual dimension of human experience despite its relevance to our fundamental goal of healing. This exploratory work takes the position that this dimension can and should be reintegrated into health care models and practice. After delineating the scope of inquiry and providing some definitions, I draw upon paradigms from psychology and physics to provide a basis for such integration, and then extend the biopsychosocial model to include the spiritual dimension, discussing some ways in which this perspective might affect our thinking about disease and health care.
Previous investigators have suggested that the effects of therapeutic touch are the result of an energy exchange between the client and the nurse. In this investigation, the theory of energy exchange is viewed as part of the broader conceptual system proposed by Rogers. The theorem that the effects of therapeutic touch do not depend on actual physical contact is derived, tested, and supported via an experimental pretest-posttest design. Subjects treated with noncontract therapeutic touch demonstrated a significantly greater decrease in state anxiety than subjects treated with a mimic control intervention. Implications for further theory development are presented.
This paper presents evidence from three samples, two of college students and one of participants in a community smoking-cessation program, for the reliability and validity of a 14-item instrument, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), designed to measure the degree to which situations in one's life are appraised as stressful. The PSS showed adequate reliability and, as predicted, was correlated with life-event scores, depressive and physical symptomatology, utilization of health services, social anxiety, and smoking-reduction maintenance. In all comparisons, the PSS was a better predictor of the outcome in question than were life-event scores. When compared to a depressive symptomatology scale, the PSS was found to measure a different and independently predictive construct. Additional data indicate adequate reliability and validity of a four-item version of the PSS for telephone interviews. The PSS is suggested for examining the role of nonspecific appraised stress in the etiology of disease and behavioral disorders and as an outcome measure of experienced levels of stress.
Effect of therapeutic touch on the anxiety of 90 volunteer male and female subjects between the ages of 21 and 65, hospitalized in a cardiovascular unit of a large medical center in New York City, was examined. The dependent variable, state anxiety, was defined as a transitory emotional state of the individual at a particular point and was measured by the Self-Evaluation Questionnaire x-1, developed by Spielberger, Gorsuch, and Lushene. Subjects were administered this tool pre- and postintervention. Three matched intervention groups were formed; each subject received an individual five-minute period of intervention by therapeutic touch, casual touch, or no touch. Subjects who received intervention by therapeutic touch experienced a highly significant (p < .001) reduction in state anxiety, according to a comparison of preposttest means on A-state anxiety using a correlated t ratio. Subjects who received intervention by therapeutic touch had a significantly (p < .01) greater reduction in posttest anxiety scores than subjects who received intervention by causal touch or no touch.
In a prospective study of patients with chronic depression, none of a series of variables reported to be predictive of outcome in episodic depression emerged as significant predictors of change in depression scores over time. It is concluded that either greater changes in depression severity than those observed may be required to detect predictors of outcome in chronic depression, or that other variables, perhaps related to the social context of the patient rather than to the depression itself, may determine the course of chronic depression.
This study examines the effects of two noninvasive procedures on experienced anxiety. Thirty-one inpatients of a Veterans Administration psychiatric facility were randomly assigned to one of two treatment conditions, (therapeutic touch and relaxation therapy) or to a therapeutic touch placebo condition. An additional 13 patients were excluded because of failure to meet criteria for the study or failure to complete the procedures. Each subject completed a self-report anxiety measure and was rated for amount of motor activity before and after each of two 15-minute treatment sessions in a 24-hour period. Subjects' belief in the effectiveness of the intervention was measured. Expectancy did not correlate with outcome and was not analyzed further. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) showed that whereas relaxation therapy provided significant reduction of anxiety on the self-report measure and the movement measure, the nursing intervention of therapeutic touch resulted in significant reductions of reported anxiety. The control group showed small but nonsignificant effects. Results suggests that both relaxation and therapeutic touch are effective palliatives to experienced anxiety. Implications for nursing theory are discussed.
The antihypertensive, biochemical and adverse effects of captopril, hydralazine, nifedipine and placebo were compared in 160 patients with BP inadequately controlled by atenolol 100 mg daily plus bendrofluazide 5 mg daily. Treatments were given for up to 12 weeks. Beta-blocker and thiazide were continued unchanged. All three active drugs reduced supine BP relative to placebo; mean BP changes attributable to active treatment (95% confidence intervals): captopril 13.4/10.3 mmHg (0.6/4.0 to 26.2/16.6), hydralazine 15.0/10.0 mmHg (1.7/3.4 to 28.3/16.6), nifedipine 16.8/8.1 mmHg (4.0/1.8 to 29.6/14.4). There were no significant differences between the agents. Results for erect BP were similar. Target BP (< 140/95 mmHg) was achieved more frequently on captopril (33%), hydralazine (29%) and nifedipine (17%) than on placebo (10%). Compared with the other treatments captopril increased serum potassium concentration (P = 0.01), and hydralazine reduced serum cholesterol concentration (median changes: captopril -0.2 mmol/l, hydralazine -0.8 mmol/l, nifedipine -0.2 mmol/l, and placebo +0.2 mmol/l, P < 0.001). Overall, side-effects did not differ significantly between the groups; withdrawals resulting from adverse reactions: captopril 15%, hydralazine 24%, nifedipine 22%, and placebo 3% (chi 2 = 8.2, P = 0.04). Captopril, hydralazine and nifedipine did not differ significantly in efficacy and tolerability when added to atenolol and bendrofluazide. However, there were trends in favour of captopril, on which drug the highest proportion of patients had their BP controlled and the lowest proportion were withdrawn because of side-effects. Thus, of the drugs tested, captopril appears to be the best option as third drug in hypertension.
Many people use unconventional therapies for health problems, but the extent of this use and the costs are not known. We conducted a national survey to determine the prevalence, costs, and patterns of use of unconventional therapies, such as acupuncture and chiropractic.
We limited the therapies studied to 16 commonly used interventions neither taught widely in U.S. medical schools nor generally available in U.S. hospitals. We completed telephone interviews with 1539 adults (response rate, 67 percent) in a national sample of adults 18 years of age or older in 1990. We asked respondents to report any serious or bothersome medical conditions and details of their use of conventional medical services; we then inquired about their use of unconventional therapy.
One in three respondents (34 percent) reported using at least one unconventional therapy in the past year, and a third of these saw providers for unconventional therapy. The latter group had made an average of 19 visits to such providers during the preceding year, with an average charge per visit of 13.7 billion, three quarters of which (12.8 billion spent out of pocket annually for all hospitalizations in the United States.
The frequency of use of unconventional therapy in the United States is far higher than previously reported. Medical doctors should ask about their patients' use of unconventional therapy whenever they obtain a medical history.
This article compares the social and health characteristics of patients of five kinds of practitioners: family physicians (used as a baseline group); chiropractors; acupuncturist/traditional Chinese medicine doctors; naturopaths; and Reiki practitioners. The data were gathered in a large Canadian city during the period 1994 to 1995. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 300 patients (60 from each type of treatment group). While the most striking social and health differences occur between patients of family physicians and the patients of alternative practitioners, significant differences are also evident between the different groups of alternative patients. Reiki patients, for example, have a higher level of education and are more likely to be in managerial or professional positions than other alternative patients. The profiles presented here indicate that users of alternative care should not be regarded as a homogeneous population. The findings also show that almost all alternative patients also consult family physicians. The pattern revealed is one of multiple use: patients choose the kind of practitioner they believe can best help their particular problem.
A series of five innovative experiments conducted by Wirth et al. which examined the effect of various complementary healing interventions on the reepithelialization rate of full thickness human dermal wounds was assessed as to specific methodological and related factors. The treatment interventions utilized in the series included experimental derivatives of the Therapeutic Touch (TT), Reiki, LeShan, and Intercessory Prayer techniques. The results of the series indicated statistical significance for the initial two experiments and nonsignificance or reverse significance for the remaining three studies. This review article examines the methodological designs of the series of studies, along with the TT practitioners' phenomenologically based journal reports, to provide potential contributing correlative factors for the differential results obtained. These factors include: (1) methodological design restrictions, (2) a transference/inhibitory effect (3) the influence of experimental assistants, (4) healer visualization /imagery techniques, (5) variations in subject populations, and (6) a potential cancellation effect. While the placebo controlled double-blind methodological designs used in the series were as stringent as those used in other fields of scientific inquiry, the overall results of the experiments were inconclusive in establishing the efficacy of the treatment interventions for accelerating the rate of reepithelialization of full thickness dermal wounds.
Virtually all medical and psychological treatments and interventions—conventional as well as complementary and alternative—are assumed to act in present time on present, already well-established conditions. An alternative healing pathway is proposed in which healing intentions—in the form of direct mental interactions with biological systems—may act in a "backward," time-displaced manner to influence probabilities of initial occurrence of earlier "seed moments" in the development of illness or health. Because seed moments are more labile, freely variable, and flexible, as well as unusually sensitive to small influences, time-displaced healing pathways may he especially efficacious. This unusual hypothesis is supported by a review of a substantial database of well-controlled laboratory experiments. Theoretical rationales and potential health applications and implications are presented. (Altern Ther Health Med. 2000;6(1):37-48)