J Altern Complement Med. 2000 Apr; 6(2): 181-6.

Researching healing: a psychologist's perspective.

Mitchell A.

School of Psychology, University of Exeter, United Kingdom. amitchell@exeter.ac.uk

This article suggests that a research agenda for healing should encompass qualitative issues of value and meaning as well as quantitative issues of clinical effectiveness. Patients themselves should play an active part in all stages of the research process in order to ensure that the questions addressed are relevant to the needs and wants of those who use healing. Research should address the issues of defining and specifying desired outcomes and clarifying the specific and nonspecific factors in the healing process as well as investigating the potential for harm in treatment and minimizing risk. Some specific research questions are raised. The healing community is challenged to develop a research agenda that is conceptually and methodologically rigorous, true to the holistic nature of complementary and alternative medicine, and retains the subversive edge of the healing traditions.