Integrative Medicine Patients Have High Stress, Pain, and Psychological Symptoms.
Author: Wolever RQ1, Goel NS2, Roberts RS3, Caldwell K4, Kligler B5, Dusek JA6, Perlman A7, Dolor R8, Abrams DI9.
Affiliation:
1Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Duke Integrative Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Box 102904, Durham, NC 27710. Electronic address: ruth.wolever@duke.edu. 2East Carolina School of Medicine, Greenville, NC. 3Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC. 4Department of Human Development and Psychological Counseling, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC. 5Department of Integrative Medicine, Mount Sinai Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, NY. 6Penny George Institute for Health and Healing, Minneapolis, MN. 7Duke Integrative Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC. 8Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC. 9Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA.
Conference/Journal: Explore (NY).
Date published: 2015 Apr 30
Other:
Pages: S1550-8307(15)00064-6 , Special Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.explore.2015.04.003 , Word Count: 212
Abstract
CONTEXT:
Integrative medicine (IM) is a rapidly growing field whose providers report clinical success in treating significant stress, chronic pain, and depressive and anxiety symptoms. While IM therapies have demonstrated efficacy for numerous medical conditions, IM for psychological symptoms has been slower to gain recognition in the medical community.
OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN:
This large, cross-sectional study is the first of its kind to document the psychosocial profiles of 4182 patients at 9 IM clinics that form the BraveNet Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN).
RESULTS:
IM patients reported higher levels of perceived stress, pain, and depressive symptoms, and lower levels of quality of life compared with national norms. Per provider reports, 60% of patients had at least one of the following: stress (9.3%), fatigue (10.2%), anxiety (7.7%), depression (7.2%), and/or sleep disorders (4.8%). Pain, having both physiological and psychological components, was also included and is the most common condition treated at IM clinics. Those with high stress, psychological conditions, and pain were most frequently treated with acupuncture, IM physician consultation, exercise, chiropractic services, diet/nutrition counseling, and massage.
CONCLUSION:
With baseline information on clinical presentation and service utilization, future PBRN studies can examine promising interventions delivered at the clinic to treat stress and psychological conditions.
Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
KEYWORDS:
Integrative medicine; PBRN; pain; psychological disorders; stress
PMID: 26044918
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