Efetividade do Reiki na ansiedade: Uma Revisão Sistemática e Metanálise

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of Reiki in anxious symptoms. Methodology: The present work is a systematic review with a meta analysis of randomized clinical trials, conducted according to the PICO strategy, in that P refers to the Patient (medical condition): Patients with Anxiety; I refers to Intervention (therapy or diagnosis) conducted: Reiki Practice; C refers to Comparison: sham Reiki (fake Reiki); and O refers to Outcome: reduction in anxiety levels. Terms searched through MESH/Decs were anxiety, treatment, Reiki, therapy. They were applied to databases such as PubMed, SciELO, Cochrane, LILACS, ScienceDirect, Virtual Health Library Americas Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicines (VHL MTCI), and Google Scholar. Articles from the last 10 years were included; in all languages; from all countries; randomized and controlled clinical trials. Studies with patients using another integrative practice other than Reiki, commentaries, repeated articles, data unavailability, and other reviews or meta-analyses were excluded. Data were analyzed using Review Manager, version 5 (Cochrane IMS). Results: The initial search resulted in 18,353 articles. Of these, 18,231 were excluded for being over 10 years old, not being randomized, or addressing different integrative practices than Reiki. After screening titles and abstracts, 117 additional records were removed for not fitting the research question. Of the remaining 5 articles, 1 did not use sham Reiki as a control group, and another considered anxiety synonymous with stress, using a stress assessment scale. In the end, 3 studies were selected. The meta-analysis compared Reiki treatment and sham Reiki using the STAI-I scale to measure anxiety. The effect size was significantly large (-12.34), indicating a substantial reduction in anxiety in the Reiki group compared to the sham Reiki group. Conclusion: This meta analysis reveals that Reiki is effective in controlling anxious symptoms, emphasizing its importance as a complementary therapy. However, further research is needed to strengthen recommendations, consolidate the technique, and develop strategies to improve the well-being and mental health of individuals suffering from anxiety.