Healing through trust: This is how expectations increase the success of therapy

Healing through trust: This is how expectations increase the success of therapy

Researchers from the SFB “Treatment Expectation” have published important findings about the effect of treatment expectations on the success of therapy. In their current round of recommendations for healthcare professionals, they emphasize that positive expectations can increase the chances of success of therapies, while negative expectations reduce them and may also increase side effects. This information was presented in a publication by JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), which focuses on communication strategies between doctors and patients. Loud uni-marburg.de The team of authors includes prominent scientists such as Prof. Meike Shedden-Mora and Prof. Winfried Rief.

The influence of expectations on treatment outcomes is not new, but its importance in therapeutic communication is becoming increasingly clear. Empathetic behavior of practitioners in combination with a strong doctor-patient relationship is emphasized as crucial for the success of treatment. In particular, communication about possible side effects should be sensitive, as the way in which they are explained may influence their frequency. This supports the thesis that doctors should specifically ask about their patients' previous experiences, expectations and fears in order to promote therapeutic success.

The role of expectations in pain analysis

Results of pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov show that patients' expectations also significantly influence the neural processing of pain. Treatment expectations are particularly crucial in the context of placebo analgesia, as they can increase the effectiveness of analgesics. Negative expectations, on the other hand, often lead to nocebo effects, in which pain sensitivity increases and new symptoms can arise.

Recent meta-analyses demonstrate that a significant portion of symptom improvements are due to placebo effects, particularly in conditions such as pain and depression. In addition, psychological factors such as the transfer of information and the therapeutic context should not be underestimated. These elements play a central role in the formation of expectations and therefore in the effectiveness of both active and non-active treatments.

The Placebo Effect: A Psychobiological Phenomenon

The phenomenon of the placebo effect, which involves confidence in the effectiveness of a treatment, has been studied in medical research for centuries. psychology-heute.info describes that expectations can bring about concrete, measurable changes in the body. These psychological mechanisms lead to the activation of neural pathways linked to the reward system in the brain.

The biochemical reactions caused by the placebo effect are also important, including the release of endorphins and dopamine. These substances are important for pain control and emotional processing. Self-efficacy and confidence in one's own ability to recover further reinforce positive expectations, which in turn leads to better health.

Negative expectations, on the other hand, can cause physiological reactions known as nocebo effects. These effects require a careful communication strategy between doctor and patient to manage the psychological mechanisms and achieve optimal treatment results. Overall, ongoing research aims to specifically use the placebo effect in medical practice in order to optimize treatment results in the long term.