Placebo effects in alternative medical treatments for anxiety: false hope or healing potential?

Escolà-Gascón, Á ORCID: 0000-0002-3086-4024, Dagnall, N, Drinkwater, K, Denovan, A ORCID: 0000-0002-9082-7225 and Benito-León, J Placebo effects in alternative medical treatments for anxiety: false hope or healing potential? CNS Spectrums. pp. 1-46. ISSN 1092-8529

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Abstract

Objective: This study investigated whether the perceived efficacy of healing crystals in reducing anxiety symptoms can be explained by classical conditioning mechanisms and belief-related cognitive biases, rather than genuine therapeutic effects. The aim was to disentangle placebo responses from true clinical outcomes in the context of pseudoscientific interventions. Methods: A sample of 138 adults from the general population was classified as either believers or non-believers in the efficacy of healing crystals. Participants were randomly assigned to an experimental group (rose quartz crystal) or a control group (placebo crystal), following a standardized 14-day usage protocol. Anxiety symptoms were assessed pre- and post-intervention using the Beck Anxiety Inventory and the Spanish version of the Kuwait University Anxiety Scale. A multilevel ANOVA and Bayesian analysis were conducted to evaluate main effects and interactions. Results: Significant reductions in anxiety were observed exclusively among believers, irrespective of whether they received the actual crystal or a placebo. No significant differences emerged between experimental and control groups, and the effects did not exceed those typically associated with placebo. Bayesian estimates further supported the null hypothesis for treatment effects. A strong correlation between pre-existing belief and perceived post-treatment efficacy suggested the presence of causal illusions shaped by classical conditioning. Conclusion: The findings indicate that healing crystals do not exert therapeutic effects beyond placebo. Observed symptom reductions were mediated by expectancy and conditioning mechanisms, particularly among participants prone to intuitive and magical thinking. Nevertheless, based on previous evidence, we do not rule out the possibility that this placebo effect could be amplified through interaction with other clinical variables associated with the therapeutic alliance in the doctor-patient relationship.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	1103 Clinical Sciences; 1109 Neurosciences; Psychiatry; 3202 Clinical sciences; 3209 Neurosciences; 5202 Biological psychology
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions:	Psychology (from Sep 2019)
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date of acceptance:	26 August 2025
Date of first compliant Open Access:	2 September 2025
Date Deposited:	02 Sep 2025 16:03
Last Modified:	02 Sep 2025 16:15
DOI or ID number:	10.1017/s1092852925100515
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/27086

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