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 |
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