Psychosocial and spiritual needs of patients with chronic diseases: validation of the Chinese version of the Spiritual Needs Questionnaire

OBJECTIVE： 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. METHODS： 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. RESULTS： 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 a） ranging from 0.51 to 0.81. Included were the 4-item scale Inner Peace Needs, the 5-item scale Giving/Generativity （with 2 sub-constructs, Praying and Sources）, and a Needs, the 5-item scale Religious Needs 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. CONCLUSION： 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.

德国老年人对替代医学疗法、针刺、顺势疗法及人智学疗法的使用情况(英文)

目的:很多有关补充替代医学(complementary and alternative medicine,CAM)的研究表明,CAM的使用情况与患者的社会文化背景、性别、年龄及基础疾病等因素有关。本研究旨在调查分析拥有医疗保险的德国老年人对特定的CAM疗法的使用情况。方法:在一次匿名的德国保险受益人的横断面调查中,对5 830名老年人过去5年里通过医生或非医疗工作者使用CAM的情况的调查数据进行分析。结果:德国老年人最广泛使用的CAM疗法分别为针刺/中医(21%)、顺势疗法(21%)、运动疗法/锻炼(19%)、整骨疗法/脊椎指压疗法(12%)、草药/植物疗法(7%)、节食/特殊食谱(6%)及足底反射疗法(5%)。人智学疗法只被很少数的人使用。针刺与顺势疗法的使用者倾向于同时使用多种CAM疗法,特别是同时使用针刺与顺势疗法。男性患者与女性患者在CAM疗法的使用上有显著的不同。结论:针刺与顺势疗法的使用人数近似,而顺势疗法是源于西欧的一种CAM疗法,这说明针刺这一来自东方的疗法在德国也有其立足之地。很多患者同时使用多种CAM疗法,特别是针刺与顺势疗法同时使用者居多。此外,对于一些将并非CAM疗法的治疗方法纳入其研究之中而得出的结论,应该持谨慎态度。

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

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. METHODS： 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. RESULTS： 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＋Chcounterparts significantly with respect to their ability to reflect life and implications of illness （F=9.1 ; P=-0.004）.

A systematic literature review on the effectiveness of eurythmy therapy

BACKGROUND：Eurythmy therapy is a movement therapy of anthroposophic medicine that can have effects on a person’s physical body,spirit,and soul.OBJECTIVE：The aim of this publication was to update and summarize the relevant literature on the effectiveness of eurythmy in a therapeutic context since 2008.SEARCH STRATEGY：Different databases like Pub Med,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.INCLUSION CRITERIA：There were no limitations for indication,considered outcome or age of participants.DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS：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.RESULTS：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 fi rst review.CONCLUSION：Eurythmy seems to be a benefi cial 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.