Perceived Outcomes of Spiritual Healing: Results from a Prospective Case Series
Michael Teut1, Florian Besch2, Claudia M Witt2
1Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany, michael.teut@charite.de.
Background:
The aims of this pilot study were to observe perceived outcomes of spiritual healing in Germany.
Patients And Methods:
In this prospective case study, we performed qualitative interviews with clients and healers about perceived outcomes of spiritual healing treatments. A directed qualitative content analysis was used. In addition, we applied questionnaires (WHOQOL-BREF, General Self-Efficacy Scale, Sense of Coherence 13, SpREUK-15, intensity of complaints on visual analogue scale) at baseline and after week 1, month 2 and month 6 which were analysed descriptively.
Results:
Seven healers and 7 clients participated, 42 interviews were analysed. In the interviews, the clients described positive body sensations, greater relaxation and well-being as short-term effects of healing treatments. Perceived longer-term effects were related to making significant life changes, creating new meanings, activating resources and improving social relationships. Patients in pain described a reduction of pain intensity. In the questionnaires, the clients reported improvements in quality of life and self-efficacy, to a smaller extent improvements of intensity of complaints and sense of coherence.
Conclusion:
The results from this pilot study could be useful to choose outcomes of future prospective studies with a larger sample: qualitative assessments combined with global and broad quantitative outcomes such as quality of life, self-efficacy and intensity of complaints could be applied.
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