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Quality of Life as Medicine: Interventions that Induce Salutogenesis. A Review of the Literature

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Abstract

This paper reviews the medical (salutogenic) effect of interventions that aim to improve quality of life. Review of studies where the global quality of life in chronically ill patients was improved independently of subjective and objective factors (like physical and mental health, yearly income, education, social network, self-esteem, sexual ability and problems or work). The methods used were subtypes of integrative medicine (non-drug CAM) like mind body medicine, body psychotherapy, clinical holistic medicine, consciousness-based medicine and sexology. In about 20 papers on QOL as medicine, in cancer, coronary heart disease, chronic pain, mental illness, sexual dysfunction, low self-esteem, low working ability and poor QOL, the most successful intervention strategy seems to be to create a maternal, infantile bonding induced by a combination of conversation therapy and bodywork. The papers examined the treatments of over 2,000 chronically ill or dysfunctional patients and more than 20 different types of health problems. Global QOL measured by SEQOL, QOL5, QOL1, self-rated physical health, self-rated mental health, self-rated sexual functioning, anorgasmia, genital pain, self-rated working ability, self-rated relation to self, well-being, life-satisfaction, happiness, fulfillment of needs, experience of temporal and spatial domains, expression of life’s potentials, and objective functioning. We found “QOL as medicine” able in the treatment of physical disorders and illnesses including chronic pain (Number Needed to Treat (NNT) = 1–3, Number Needed to Harm (NNH) > 500), in mental illness (NNT = 1–3, NNH > 500), in sexual dysfunctions (NNT = 1–2, NNH > 1,000), self-rated low working ability (NNT = 2, NNH > 500), and self-rated low QOL (NNT = 2, NNH > 2,000). We found that QOL improving interventions helped or cured 30–90% of the patients, typically within one year, independent of the type of health problem. “QOL as medicine” seems to be able in improving chronic mental, somatic and sexual health issues without side effects.

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Acknowledgments

The Danish Quality of Life Survey, Quality of Life Research Center and The Research Clinic for Holistic Medicine, Copenhagen, was from 1987 till today supported by grants from the 1991 Pharmacy Foundation, the Goodwill-fonden, the JL-Foundation, E. Danielsen and Wife’s Foundation, Emmerick Meyer’s Trust, the Frimodt-Heineken Foundation, the Hede Nielsen Family Foundation, Petrus Andersens Fond, Wholesaler C.P. Frederiksens Study Trust, Else & Mogens Wedell-Wedellsborg’s Foundation and IMK Almene Fond. The research in quality of life and scientific complementary and holistic medicine was approved by the Copenhagen Scientific Ethical Committee under the numbers (KF)V. 100.1762-90, (KF)V. 100.2123/91, (KF)V. 01-502/93, (KF)V. 01-026/97, (KF)V. 01-162/97, (KF)V. 01-198/97, and further correspondence. We declare no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Quality of Life Research Center, Frederiksberg Alle 13 A, 2.t.v., 1820, Copenhagen V., Denmark

    Søren Ventegodt

  2. Research Clinic for Holistic Medicine, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Søren Ventegodt

  3. Nordic School of Holistic Medicine, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Søren Ventegodt

  4. Scandinavian Foundation for Holistic Medicine, Sandvika, Norway

    Søren Ventegodt

  5. Interuniversity College, Graz, Austria

    Søren Ventegodt

  6. Kentucky Children’s Hospital, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA

    Hatim A. Omar

  7. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Office of the Medical Director, Medical Services, Division for Mental Retardation, Ministry of Social Affairs, Jerusalem, Israel

    Joav Merrick

  8. Interuniversity College, Graz, Austria

    Joav Merrick

  9. Kentucky Children’s Hospital, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA

    Joav Merrick

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  1. Søren Ventegodt
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Correspondence to Søren Ventegodt.

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Ventegodt, S., Omar, H.A. & Merrick, J. Quality of Life as Medicine: Interventions that Induce Salutogenesis. A Review of the Literature. Soc Indic Res 100, 415–433 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-010-9621-8

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