Psychiatry Anthroposophic Therapy for Anxiety Disorders
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Clinical Medicine: Psychiatry OPEN ACCESS Full open access to this and thousands of other papers at ORIGIN al R ESE A R C H http://www.la-press.com. Anthroposophic Therapy for Anxiety Disorders: A Two-year Prospective Cohort Study in Routine Outpatient Settings Harald J. Hamre1, Claudia M. Witt2, Gunver S. Kienle1, Anja Glockmann1, Renatus Ziegler3, Stefan N. Willich2 and Helmut Kiene1 1Institute for Applied Epistemology and Medical Methodology, Freiburg, Germany. 2Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology, and Health Economics, Charité University Medical Center, Berlin, Germany. 3Society for Cancer Research, Arlesheim, Switzerland. Email: [email protected] Abstract Background and Methods: Anthroposophic treatment for anxiety disorders includes special artistic and physical therapies and special medications. We conducted a prospective cohort study of 64 consecutive adult outpatients starting anthroposophic treatment for anxiety disorders under routine conditions. Main outcomes were Anxiety Severity (physician and patient ratings 0–10), Self-rating Anxiety Scale (0–100), Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, German version (CES-D, 0–60), and SF-36 Mental Component Summary. Results: Mean age was 42.3 years. Most frequent diagnoses were generalized anxiety disorder (44% of patients, n = 28/64) and panic disorder (39%). Median disease duration was 4.5 years. The anthroposophic treatment modalities used were medications (56% of patients), eurythmy therapy (41%), art therapy (30%), and rhythmical massage therapy (3%). Median number of eurythmy/art/massage sessions was 12, median therapy duration was 120 days. From baseline to six-month follow-up, all outcomes improved significantly; average improvements were: Physician-rated Anxiety Severity 3.60 points (95% confidence interval 2.97–4.22, p 0.001), patient-rated Anxiety Severity 3.50 (2.88–4.12, p 0.001), Self-rating Anxiety Scale 11.88 (7.70–16.05, p 0.001), CES-D 8.79 (5.61–11.98, p 0.001), and SF-36 Mental Component 9.53 (5.98–13.08, p 0.001). All improvements were maintained until last follow-up after 24 months. Conclusions: Patients with anxiety disorders under anthroposophic treatment had long-term improvements of symptoms and quality of life. Keywords: anthroposophy, anxiety disorders, art therapy, eurythmy therapy, prospective studies Clinical Medicine: Psychiatry 2009:2 17–31 This article is available from http://www.la-press.com. © the authors, licensee Libertas Academica Ltd. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0) which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction provided the original work is properly cited. Clinical Medicine: Psychiatry 2009:2 17 Hamre et al Background (counselling, AM medication) and non-medical Anxiety disorders affect 6%–19% of adults in the therapists (art, rhythmical massage, and eurythmy Western world every year1,2 and are associated therapy). For patients with anxiety disorders the with substantial disability, reduced quality of life, physician will choose among the available AM therapy reduced work capacity, and increased healthcare modalities in order to tailor the treatment to individual use.3–8 Not all patients with anxiety disorders benefit disease features and the patient’s constitution. AM from conventional therapy; even under the optimum treatments can be administered alone or combined conditions of a clinical trial 20%–60% of patients with conventional psychotherapy and/or anti-anxiety will not respond to psychotherapy or anti-anxiety medications. medications.9–13 Up to one-half of patients with To date AM therapy for anxiety disorders has been anxiety symptoms use complementary therapies,14,15 evaluated in case reports.18,24,25 Here we present a pre- sometimes provided by their physicians. planned subgroup analysis of patients with anxiety Anthroposophic medicine (AM) is a complementary disorders from a prospective cohort study of AM therapy system founded by Rudolf Steiner and Ita therapy.26 Wegman16 and provided by specially trained physicians in 56 countries worldwide.17 AM acknowledges Methods a spiritual-existential dimension in man, which is Study design and objective assumed to interact with psychological and somatic This is a prospective two-year cohort study in a levels in health and disease. AM therapy for anxiety real-world medical setting. The study was initiated disorders aims to counteract constitutional vulnerability, by a health insurance company as part of a research stimulate salutogenetic self-healing capacities, and project on the effectiveness, costs, and safety of strengthen patient autonomy.18–20 The AM approach AM therapies in outpatients with chronic disease differs from conventional treatment in the use of (Anthroposophic Medicine Outcomes Study, AMOS).26 special therapies (eurythmy movement exercises, art The present pre-planned analysis concerned the therapy, rhythmical massage therapy)19,21 and special subgroup of adult patients with anxiety disorders. medications.18 Since this was the first prospective analysis of AM Eurythmy therapy is an artistic exercise therapy therapy for this indication, the primary objective involving cognitive, emotional and volitional elements.22 was to describe AM therapy for anxiety disorders In eurythmy therapy sessions the patients are instructed (spectrum of anxiety indications and of AM therapy to exercise specific movements with the hands, the feet modalities used for them, extent of combination or the whole body. Eurythmy movements are related to with conventional anti-anxiety therapy) as well as the sounds of vowels and consonants, to music intervals outcome of anxiety symptoms under AM treatment. or to affective gestures, e.g. sympathy-antipathy. Further research questions addressed quality of life, Between therapy sessions the patients exercise use of health services, adverse reactions, and therapy eurythmy movements daily. In AM art therapy the satisfaction. patients engage in painting, drawing, clay modelling, music or speech exercises. Rhythmical massage Setting, participants, and therapy therapy was developed from Swedish massage; special All physicians certified by the Physicians’ Association techniques include lifting movements, rhythmically for Anthroposophical Medicine in Germany and undulating gliding movements, and complex working in an office-based practice or outpatient movement patterns like lemniscates. AM medications clinic were invited to participate in the AMOS study. are prepared from plants, minerals, animals and from Certification as an AM physician required a completed chemically defined substances. A key concept of AM medical degree and a three-year structured postgraduate medication therapy is typological correspondences training. The participating physicians recruited between pathophysiological processes in man consecutive patients starting AM therapy under routine and formative forces working in minerals, plants, clinical conditions. Patients enrolled from 1 January and animals, reflecting a common evolution of man 1999 to 31 December 2005 were included in the present and nature.19,23 AM therapy is provided by physicians analysis if they fulfilled the eligibility criteria. 18 Clinical Medicine: Psychiatry 2009:2 Anthroposophic therapy for anxiety disorders Inclusion criteria were: Inventory33 because it reportedly measures panic attacks rather than anxiety in general;34 State-Trait 1. Age 17–75 years. Anxiety Inventory30 because of the perceived lower 2. A physician’s clinical diagnosis of an anxiety utility of the “state” items for the present longitudinal disorder (International Statistical Classification study). of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Center Revision [ICD-10] F40–F42 or F43.1) of at least for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, 30 days duration. German version (CES-D, 0–60).35,36 Symptom Score, 3. Starting AM therapy for the anxiety disorder: the severity of one to six most relevant symptoms 3a. AM-related consultation of at least 30 minutes present at baseline, was assessed by patients on followed by new prescription of AM numerical rating scales from 0 (“not present”) to 10 medication, or (“worst possible”). Quality of life was assessed by 3b. new referral to AM therapy (art, eurythmy or the SF-36 Health Survey37 (Physical and Mental rhythmical massage). Component summary measures, eight scales, Health Exclusion criteria were: Change item). SAS was documented by patients enrolled after 1. The main indication for AM therapy is depression March 2001. CES-D was documented at baseline (only one main indication was permitted; adult by all patients and documented during follow-up AMOS patients with anxiety symptoms but with by patients enrolled after September 1999. Physician- depression as main treatment indication were rated Anxiety Severity was documented after 0 analysed separately).27 and 6 months, while all other clinical outcomes were 2. Previous use of the AM therapy in question (see documented after 0, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. inclusion criteria No 3) for the anxiety disorder. The physicians’ diagnostic assessment of anxiety Other outcomes disorders was assisted by brief written clinical Therapy outcome rating (0–10), satisfaction with descriptions of the ICD-10 diagnoses F40 therapy (0–10) and therapy effectiveness rating (“very Phobic anxiety disorder, F41.0 Panic disorder, effective, “effective”, “less effective”,