Physiologic and psychodynamic responses to the administration of therapeutic touch in critical care

Abstract

Recent publications have questioned the efficacy of therapeutic touch (TT). The focus of attention has been on substantiating the existence of the recipient's energy field rather than on the physiologic and psychodynamic responses to TT. In this article the physiologic and psychodynamic responses during and following the administration of TT is described. The project involved the implementation of a time series design in which the physiologic and psychodynamic responses were measured. It is acknowledged that critical care environments are stressful for patients in terms of invasive medical and nursing procedures. Continuous bright lighting, and excessive noise prohibits the potential for relaxation and sleep. Within this context, the control of confounding variables was not possible, and therefore not an object of concern in the study. Rather the responses to TT in the natural setting were of importance to discern. Statistical repeated measures analysis of variance (one way) indicated there was no significant difference between pre-, during and post-physiologic variables in response to TT. However psychodynamic responses demonstrated significant correlation's in terms of relaxation and sleep. The non significance of physiologic change in variables pre-, during and post-administration of TT indicates critically ill patients remained physiologically stable. Significant correlations of psychodynamic responses demonstrated it is possible for critically ill patients to experience periods of relaxation and sleep in an otherwise stressful environment. TT was found to be a useful therapy to enhance relaxation and sleep in critically ill patients.