Feasibility and acceptability of a reiki therapy intervention for children receiving palliative care

Abstract

Background: Children are receptive to complementary therapies such as music, massage, and distraction for symptom management. Reiki therapy is ideal for children; particularly those receiving palliative care because it is a gentle, light touch therapy that promotes relaxation. This pre/post mixed-methods single group pilot study examined feasibility and acceptability of Reiki therapy for children receiving palliative care. Methods: A convenience sample of children (7 to16 years) together with a parent was recruited from a large palliative care service. Two 24-minute protocolized Reiki therapy sessions (12 hand positions for 2 minutes each) were administered at the child’s home by a single Reiki master. Recruitment, retention, and data collection rates were documented. Structured interviews were completed with parents and verbal children to elicit their experiences with the Reiki therapy sessions. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were conducted. Results: Twenty-one (87.5%) of the 24 child-parent dyads approached consented to the study. Sixteen dyads completed the study (eight with verbal and eight with non-verbal children). All 16 mothers (100%) stated they would participate in the study again and 100% of the verbal children liked the way the Reiki was done. Themes identified by both parents and children included Feeling Better (with subthemes Really Relaxed, Not Hurting That Bad, Calmed Me Down, Happier, and Heats Me Up), and Still Going On. Parents also identified Hard to Judge. Conclusions: The results of this pilot study demonstrate the feasibility and acceptability of Reiki therapy for children receiving palliative care. Parents and children were generally positive regarding the experience of receiving Reiki therapy. Verbal children reported they ‘felt really relaxed,’ and mothers stated, ‘it was a good experience’ and ‘she was relaxed afterward.’ These results offer evidence that Reiki therapy may be a useful addition to traditional medical management of symptoms in children receiving palliative care.