Northampton Electronic Collection of Theses and Research

Efficacy of distant healing in patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: a randomised controlled partially blinded trial (EUHEALS)

Walach, H., Bosch, H., Lewith, G., Naumann, J., Schwarzer, B., Haraldsson, E., Wiesendanger, H., Nordmann, A., Tomasson, H., Prescott, P. and Bucher, H. C. (2008) Efficacy of distant healing in patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: a randomised controlled partially blinded trial (EUHEALS). Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. 77, pp. 158-166. 0033-3190.

Item Type: Article
Abstract: Background: Distant healing, a form of spiritual healing, is widely used for many conditions but little is known about its effectiveness. Methods: In order to evaluate distant healing in patients with a stable chronic condition, we randomised 409 patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) from 14 private practices for environmental medicine in Germany and Austria in a two by two factorial design to immediate versus deferred (waiting for 6 months) distant healing. Half the patients were blinded and half knew their treatment allocation. Patients were treated for 6 months and allocated to groups of 3 healers from a pool of 462 healers in 21 European countries with different healing traditions. Change in Mental Health Component Summary (MHCS) score (SF-36) was the primary outcome and Physical Health Component Summary score (PHCS) the secondary outcome. Results: This trial population had very low quality of life and symptom scores at entry. There were no differences over 6 months in post-treatment MHCS scores between the treated and untreated groups. There was a non-significant outcome (p = 0.11) for healing with PHCS (1.11; 95% CI -0.255 to 2.473 at 6 months) and a significant effect (p = 0.027) for blinding; patients who were unblinded became worse during the trial (-1.544; 95% CI -2.913 to -0.176). We found no relevant interaction for blinding among treated patients in MHCS and PHCS. Expectation of treatment and duration of CFS added significantly to the model. Conclusions: In patients with CFS, distant healing appears to have no statistically significant effect on mental and physical health but the expectation of improvement did improve outcome
Uncontrolled Keywords: Distant healing, complimentary therapies, chronic fatigue syndrome, complementary and alternative medicine
Subjects: R Medicine > RZ Other systems of medicine > RZ400 Mental healing > RZ401 Distant healing
B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BL Religion > BL51 Philosophy of religion. Psychology of religion. Religion in relation to other subjects > BL65 Spiritual healing. Religion and medicine
R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC435 Psychiatry > RC475 Therapeutics. Psychotherapy
R Medicine > RB Pathology > RB127 Manifestations of disease > RB150.F37 Chronic fatigue syndrome
Creators: Walach, Harald, Bosch, H, Lewith, G, Naumann, J, Schwarzer, B, Haraldsson, E, Wiesendanger, H, Nordmann, A, Tomasson, H, Prescott, P and Bucher, H C
Publisher: Karger
Faculties, Divisions and Institutes: University Faculties, Divisions and Research Centres - OLD > Faculty of Health & Society > Psychology
University Faculties, Divisions and Research Centres - OLD > Research Centre > Centre for the Study of Anomalous Psychological Processes
Faculties > Faculty of Health & Society > Psychology
Research Centres > Centre for Psychology and Social Sciences
Date: 2008
Date Type: Publication
Page Range: pp. 158-166
Journal or Publication Title: Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics
Volume: 77
Language: English
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1159/000116609
ISSN: 0033-3190
Status: Published / Disseminated
Refereed: Yes
URI: http://nectar.northampton.ac.uk/id/eprint/1563

Actions (login required)

Edit Item Edit Item