Acupuncture and reiki as a prevention strategy of burnout and occupational stress in oncology

Abstract

Burnout is a professional syndrome associated with stress caused by overwork. It is prevalent in health professionals dedicated to oncological patients. Our aim was to evaluate the role of the complementary therapies acupuncture and Reiki in the prevention of Burnout and Stress of the health professionals working in the Oncology and Haematology Departments of a Portuguese hospital. We design an experimental, cross-sectional study in which a sample of 16 participants underwent acupuncture and Reiki sessions. Their answers to Maslach’s Burnout Inventory – Human Service Surveys (MBI-HSS) and the Stress Questionnaire for Health Professionals (SQHP) before and after the intervention were compared. They were also asked qualitative questions regarding their perceptions about these therapies. Although poorly consistent, the results suggest that the complementary therapies acupuncture and Reiki may have a role in the prevention of burnout and occupational stress.