A systematic literature review on the effectiveness of eurythmy therapy / 中西医结合学报

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Eurythmy therapy is a movement therapy of anthroposophic medicine that can have effects on a person's physical body, spirit, and soul.</p><p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>The aim of this publication was to update and summarize the relevant literature on the effectiveness of eurythmy in a therapeutic context since 2008.</p><p><b>SEARCH STRATEGY</b>Different databases like PubMed, MEDPILOT, Research Gate, The Cochrane Library, DIMDI, Arthe and also the journal databases Der Merkurstab and the European Journal of Integrative Medicine were searched for prospective and retrospective clinical trials in German or English language.</p><p><b>INCLUSION CRITERIA</b>There were no limitations for indication, considered outcome or age of participants.</p><p><b>DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS</b>Studies were evaluated with regard to their description of the assembly process and treatment, adequate reporting of follow-ups, and equality of comparison groups in controlled trials.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria. These included two single-arm, non-controlled pilot studies, two publications on the same non-randomized controlled trial and one case study; six further studies referred to a prospective cohort study, the Anthroposophic Medicine Outcome Study. Most of these studies described positives treatment effects with varying effect sizes. The studies were heterogynous according to the indications, age groups, study design and measured outcome. The methodological quality of the studies varied considerably. There were no clear improvements since 2008, when the recommendations were published in the first review.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Eurythmy seems to be a beneficial add-on in a therapeutic context that can improve the health conditions of affected persons. More methodologically sound studies are needed to substantiate this positive impression.</p>

Interpretation of illness in patients with chronic diseases from Shanghai and their associations with life satisfaction, escape from illness, and ability to reflect the implications of illness / 中西医结合学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>The aim of this study is to analyze how patients with chronic diseases from Shanghai interpret their disease, and how these interpretations influence patients' life satisfaction, intention to escape from their illness and their ability to reflect on the implications of their illness.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A cross-sectional study enrolling 142 patients (mean age (50 ± 16) years; 63% men, 37% women) with chronic diseases (60% cancer) was recruited in the Changhai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China and surveyed using standardized questionnaires.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Patients with chronic diseases from Shanghai interpreted their illness mostly as an Adverse Interruption of Life (55%), as a Threat/Enemy (50%), but also as a Challenge (49%), and only rarely as a Call for Help (18%) or as a Punishment (13%). Particularly fatalistic negative (i.e., Threat/Enemy, Adverse Interruption of Life) and strategy-associated disease interpretations (i.e., Relieving Break, Call for Help) were moderately associated with patients' intention to escape from illness. In contrast, positive interpretations (i.e., something of Value, Challenge) and also the guilt-associated negative interpretation Failure were moderately related with patients' ability to reflect on their illness. However, life satisfaction was weakly associated only with the view that illness might be a Challenge. Interestingly, 58% of those who would see their illness as an Adverse Interruption (AI+) could see it also as a Challenge (Ch+). Detailed analyses showed that AI+Ch+ patients differ from their AI+Ch- counterparts significantly with respect to their ability to reflect life and implications of illness (F=9.1; P=0.004).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The observed interpretations of illness, particularly the negative perceptions, could be used as indicators that patients require further psychological assistance to cope with their burden. Helping AI+ patients see their illness also as a Challenge, and thus develop a higher Reflection on Life Concerns, would be greatly beneficial, and encourages further research.</p>

Interpretation of illness in patients with chronic diseases from Shanghai and their associations with life satisfaction, escape from illness, and ability to reflect the implications of illness / 中西医结合学报

The aim of this study is to analyze how patients with chronic diseases from Shanghai interpret their disease, and how these interpretations influence patients' life satisfaction, intention to escape from their illness and their ability to reflect on the implications of their illness.

Psychosocial and spiritual needs of patients with chronic diseases: validation of the Chinese version of the Spiritual Needs Questionnaire / 中西医结合学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Even in secular societies, a small portion of patients find their spirituality to help cope with illness. But for the majority of patients, psychosocial and spiritual needs are neither addressed nor even considered a relevant factor by health care professionals. To measure such specific needs, the Spiritual Needs Questionnaire (SpNQ) was developed. The aim of this study was to validate the Chinese version of the SpNQ (SpNQ-Ch) and thus to measure psychosocial and spiritual needs of Chinese patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This was a cross-sectional study among 168 patients with chronic diseases who were recruited in the Changhai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China using standardized questionnaires. We performed reliability and factor analyses, as well as analyses of variance, first order correlations and regression analyses.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The 17-item SpNQ-Ch had a similar factorial structure as the original version with two main and three minor factors which accounted for 64% of variance, and internal consistency estimates (Cronbach's α) ranging from 0.51 to 0.81. Included were the 4-item scale Inner Peace Needs, the 5-item scale Giving/Generativity Needs, the 5-item scale Religious Needs (with 2 sub-constructs, Praying and Sources), and a 3-item scale Reflection/Release Needs. In Chinese patients with cancer (63%), pain affections (10%), or other chronic conditions (23%), the needs for Giving/Generativity (which refer to categories of Connectedness and Meaning) and Inner Peace Needs scored highest, while Religious Needs and the Reflection/Release Needs scored lower.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The SpNQ-Ch is congruent with its primary version, and can be used in future studies with the mostly nonreligious patients from China. First findings indicate specific psychosocial and spiritual needs which should be addressed by health care professionals to support patients in their struggle with chronic illness in terms of psycho-emotional stabilization, finding hope and meaning, and thus achieving peaceful states of mind despite chronic illness.</p>

Psychosocial and spiritual needs of patients with chronic diseases: validation of the Chinese version of the Spiritual Needs Questionnaire / 中西医结合学报

Even in secular societies, a small portion of patients find their spirituality to help cope with illness. But for the majority of patients, psychosocial and spiritual needs are neither addressed nor even considered a relevant factor by health care professionals. To measure such specific needs, the Spiritual Needs Questionnaire (SpNQ) was developed. The aim of this study was to validate the Chinese version of the SpNQ (SpNQ-Ch) and thus to measure psychosocial and spiritual needs of Chinese patients.

The SpREUK-SF10 questionnaire as a rapid measure of spiritual search and religious trust in patients with chronic diseases / 中西医结合学报

Background:There is growing evidence that aspects of spirituality have an impact on health. Measures of spirituality must be adapted to the kinds of populations being studied. In order to investigate how patients with chronic diseases living in secular societies view the impact of spirituality on their health and how they cope with illness, the SpREUK questionnaire was developed. Objective: This paper describes the background and psychometric properties of an assessment tool which might be suited for patients living in secular societies, and summarizes confirmatory findings of patients from Germany. Design and participants: Cross-sectional study among 496 patients (mean age 53.5±14.4 years) with chronic diseases (84% chronic pain conditions, 6% cancer, and 10% other). All subjects completed the questionnaires by themselves.Outcome measures: We intended to develop a short form of the already established SpREUK questionnaire, and tested it with respect to its factorial structure and conceptual validity. Other measures were engagement in spiritual practices (SpREUK-P), life satisfaction (BMLSS), and interpretation of illness (IIQ). Results: The good psychometric properties of the contextual (disease-related) instrument which differentiates 3 factors were confirmed: (1) Trust (in Higher Guidance/Source) (alpha=0.898), (2) Search (for Support/Access to Spirituality/Religiosity) (alpha=0.844), and (3) Reflection (Positive Interpretation of Disease) (alpha=0.736). Particularly the positive interpretations of disease were moderately associated with Search and Trust, indicating their spiritual connotation. Conclusion: To assess aspects of spirituality in secular societies which are not biased for or against a particular religious commitment, the SpREUK-SF10 questionnaire appears to be a good choice. Adaptations to other cultural backgrounds are encouraged.

Spirituality, religiosity, and dealing with illness in Arabic and German patients

To investigate the impact of spirituality and religiosity [SpR] in Arabic patients with a Muslim background as compared to patients from Western Germany. A total of 66 Arabic patients with hypertension were recruited between November 2005 and June 2006 consecutively at Al Razi Hospital and Khalil Sulaiman Hospital in Jenin [Palestine] and completed the translated SpREUK questionnaire [SpREUK is an acronym of the German translation of spiritual and religious attitudes in dealing with illness]. One hundred and eighty German patients were matched according to age, marital status, gender, and chronic diseases. Arabic patients with a Muslim background had significantly higher scores for all 4 SpREUK scales than German patients, namely, Search for meaningful support, Trust in higher source, Positive interpretation of disease, and Support in relations of life through SpR. For Muslims, the spiritual causes of disease are regarded much more as given by Allah, but this does neither impair faith as observed in German patients nor the positive interpretation of disease. It is of high importance to acknowledge these differences due to individuals with different SpR attitudes significantly differ in the way they find meaning in disease and hold in their spiritual source