Table 5.
Strength of scientific evidence by intervention
| Intervention Code | p<.05 | p>.05 | Grade** |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biofeedback | 0 (4)* | 0 (8) | L |
| CBSM*** | 19 (25) | 26 (33) | F |
| CBT | 2 (6) | 28 (37) | F |
| Disclosure | 1 (5) | 4 (13) | F |
| Humor | 0 (3) | 0 (0) | L |
| Hypnosis | 15 (28) | 16 (38) | D |
| MBSR | 8 (9) | 22 (22) | F |
| Meditation | 0 (1) | 0 (2) | L |
| Music | 1 (1) | 0 (1) | C |
| Relaxation training | 16 (44) | 14 (39) | A |
| Support | 5 (13) | 5 (12) | C |
| Visualization | 5 (12) | 4 (10) | C |
*
Numbers outside of parentheses represent number of outcomes in each category with a quality assessment score greater than 72. Numbers in parentheses represent the number of outcomes in each category for all studies regardless of quality assessment score.
**
Grades were made according to the Natural Standard evidence-based validated grading rationale™ as depicted in Table 1. (A=strong scientific evidence, B=good scientific evidence, C=unclear or conflicting scientific evidence, D = fair negative scientific evidence, F = strong negative scientific evidence, L = lack of evidence).
***
CBSM-cognitive based stress management; CBT-cognitive based therapy; MBSR-mindfulness-based stress reduction.