The Use of Reiki for Patients With Advanced AIDS

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Status and phase

Completed

Phase 2

Conditions

HIV Infections

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

Treatments

Procedure: Reiki; Subtle energy therapy

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

NIH

Identifiers

NCT00032721

R21AT001012-01

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study will investigate the use of Reiki, an energy-based complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) intervention, as an approach to improve well-being for patients with advanced AIDS, and evaluate its effects on dimensions of well-being and quality of life.

Full description

This study will investigate the use of Reiki, an energy-based complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) intervention, as an approach to improve well being for patients with advanced AIDS, and evaluate its effects on dimensions of well being and quality of life. The study is a two-group comparison between participants receiving Reiki plus usual medical care (treatment) and participants receiving usual medical care only (control).

One hundred and forty-six patients with advanced AIDS will be enrolled and randomized into the two groups. Patients in the intervention (Reiki) group will receive a total of three one-hour Reiki sessions over a period of 6 weeks. Participants in both the intervention and control groups will be assessed at two times during the study period using repeated measures. We will investigate and compare changes in participants' anxiety, depression, pain, quality of life, and spiritual well being at the end of the intervention period. This is the first part of a longer-term research agenda to examine the use and effectiveness of complementary and alternative medicines for patients with advanced disease. We plan to examine one clinical context in which Reiki is currently provided. It is important to design studies that respect both the context of care and the practitioner-client relationship-elements essential to an understanding of the philosophy and delivery of CAM such as Reiki, and at the same time endeavor to outline a systematic approach to the study of CAM.

Sex

All

Ages

21+ years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Diagnosis of advanced AIDS, defined as: CD4 count of less than 200 during the past 12 months;
On HAART for at least 6 months;
Over age 18;
Decisionally capable of providing informed consent.

Exclusion criteria