What Was This Study About?

This study looked at whether Reiki, a type of energy healing, actually helps people with mental health issues like stress, anxiety, and depression, or if its effects are just placebo (when people feel better simply because they believe a treatment works).

How Did They Do the Study?

• Type of Study: A systematic review (a study that analyzes many past studies to find overall trends).
• Number of Studies Included: 14 studies were reviewed.
• What They Measured: Scientists compared people who received real Reiki to those who received fake (sham) Reiki to see if there was a real difference.

What Did They Find?

• Reiki helped people more than a placebo for some mental health symptoms.
• The strongest improvements were seen in stress and depression.
• Reiki also helped anxiety and burnout, but the evidence was weaker.
• People with severe mental health symptoms benefited more than those with mild symptoms.
• Cortisol levels (a stress hormone) were not significantly different in some studies.

What Does This Mean?

• Reiki may be a helpful addition to traditional therapy for stress, anxiety, and depression.
• More high-quality research is needed to be sure of its full effects.
• Reiki is safe, affordable, and non-invasive, making it a good option for some people.

Conclusion

Reiki seems to have real benefits beyond the placebo effect, especially for people with high stress or severe mental health symptoms. However, researchers suggest that more studies are needed to confirm these results.

Original study reference:

Sonia Zadro* and Peta Stapleton

Frontiers in Psychology   www.frontiersin.org  July 2022 | Volume 13 | Article 897312