Summary sheet Country of origin: UK
Title / Can reflexology help clients with serious mental illness?Journal / MENTAL HEALTH NURSING -LONDON- COMMUNITY PSYCHIATRIC NURSES ASSOCIATION
Authors / Denise Boyd, Catherine Evans and Vari Drennan describe a study of the possible benefits
Reference / 2001 VOL 21; PART 6 , page(s) 14-17
Disease / illness / Severe mental illness (schizophrenia and bi-polar affective disorder)
Type of study / Feasibility / pilot
Number of clients / 6
Control type / none
Usefulness rating / 5
Methods
6 treatments given over 6 to 12 weeks.
Outcome measurements were both qualitative and quantitative.
Qualitative; field notes taken after the sessions and analysis was based on conversational themes.
Quantitative;
Life Skills Profile (LSP) questionnaire which measures social functioning
Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) which measure psychotic symptoms.
The mental health foundation had questioned the usefulness of the latter as it was felt to be rather focussed on illness.
Questionnaires were filled in before and after all the Reflexology sessions.
Results
Only 2 of the six participants completed all 6 treatments and therefore answered the final questionnaire. 2 went into crisis and two dropped out of the trial.
There were exclusively positive responses from five of the participants. No negative effects were noted.
Psycho-social scales only completed by two of the participants but there was a 20% post treatment reduction in both clients’ LPS scores. For the BPRS, one had a small increase while the other a small decrease (7 and 8% respectively)
Conclusions
Positive results but these are not generalisable. The study was too small.
The level of participation was reflective of their general pattern of attendance of this group of clients and not of the trial.
Comments
It’s a small study but positive. Both qualitative and quantitative results show a difference. Good for understanding the problems of doing research in this area.