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Anxiety & Depressed Mood

Using Healing Touch for Anxiety & Depressed Mood

Anxiety and depression are common in today’s global society. The effects of these disorders may lead to personal, family and community hardship. Healing Touch may be able to help alleviate some of that suffering. For example, in a research study with heart patients Healing Touch was shown to reduce anxiety when used prior to a hospital procedure (1). In a study of women undergoing radiation treatment for cancer, those receiving Healing Touch showed more pronounced improvements in levels of depressed mood, anxiety and anger compared to the group that received a sham or fake healing session (2). In another study (3), patients receiving chemotherapy for cancer treatment had a decrease in depressed mood in each of the three intervention groups (Healing Touch, massage and presence), suggesting that the presence of a caring practitioner may help improve mood. The study results point to touch therapies (massage and Healing Touch) having an additional beneficial effect in improving mood, energy and reducing fatigue compared with presence only.

References

  1. Seskevich, JE, Crater, S.W., Lane, J.D., & Krucof, M.W. (2004). Beneficial effects of noetic therapies on mood before percutaneous intervention for unstable coronary syndromes. Nursing Research. 53(2), p.116-21.
  2. Cook, C.A.L., Guerrerio, J.F., Slater, V.E. (2004). Healing Touch and quality of life in women receiving radiation treatment for cancer: A randomized controlled trail, Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 10(3), p. 24-41.
  3. Post-White, J., Kinney, M.E. Savik, K., Gau, J.B., Wilcox, C. & Lerner, I. (2003). Therapeutic massage and Healing Touch improve symptoms in cancer. Integrative Cancer Therapies, 2(4), 332-344.