OBJECTIVE
The specific aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of therapeutic touch in reducing the adverse immunological effects of stress in a sample of highly stressed students. Long-term goals are to develop methods by which a variety of stress-reduction techniques can be tested for efficacy.
DESIGN
Experimental.
SETTING
A large urban medical university in a southern coastal city.
SUBJECTS
Healthy medical and nursing students who are taking professional board examinations.
INTERVENTION
Therapeutic touch.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
T-lymphocyte function (CD25) and immunoglobulin levels.
RESULTS
Subjects who received therapeutic touch and subjects who did not had significantly different levels of IgA and IgM; CD25 (mitogen-stimulated T-lymphocyte function) and IgG levels differed in the expected direction between the two groups, but the differences were not statistically significant. Apoptosis (programmed cell death) was significantly different between the two groups.
CONCLUSIONS
The small sample size requires cautious interpretation of the results. This is a pilot study designed to provide evidence to show that further study of therapeutic touch as an intervention that may be useful in reducing the adverse immunologic consequences of anxiety related to stress in otherwise healthy students is warranted. Change in immune function related to anxiety and the relief of anxiety can be measured. Subsequent power analysis suggests sample sizes of 90 subjects per group are required to confirm the conclusions.