The effect of Bach flower remedies on hope and quality of life in people with advanced cancer: a triple-blind randomized clinical trial.
Leonel Dos Santos Silva, Amanda Gomes de Miranda, Larissa Marcondes and 5 others
PMID 42485509WHAT IT FOUND
In advanced cancer on palliative treatment, Bach flower remedies did not improve hope or quality of life more than placebo.
Scores rose slightly in both groups, likely from study attention. Mild adverse events were reported, and the alcoholic preservative warrants caution.
Key findings
01Hope scores did not differ between the Bach flower remedy group and the placebo group (p = 0.97).
02Quality-of-life scores showed small within-group changes, but there was no difference between groups.
03At the end of follow-up, 15 participants in the flower group and 17 in the placebo group were analyzed.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only 15 participants in the flower group and 17 in the placebo group were analyzed at the end, after 99 were randomized, so the final comparison is small. Participants had high hope and quality-of-life scores at baseline, leaving little room for further improvement. Adherence was not strictly controlled, and the 120-day course may have been too long for some participants. The flower formula was not personalized, although Bach's approach recommends individual formulas. The sample was mainly female and included many people with breast cancer, so it may not apply to other cancers or male patients. Participants continued palliative cancer treatment and received study contact and regular assessments, so the contribution of the flower essence alone cannot be separated from these concurrent components. Psychiatric comorbidities were included without subgroup analysis, which may have influenced the results.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, grant number 303955/2022-8.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the slight rise in hope or quality-of-life scores as proof that Bach flower remedies help. The flower group and placebo group did not differ on the primary hope outcome (p = 0.97), and small changes over time were not specific to the remedy.