Effects of Self-induced Unclassified Therapeutic Tremors on Quality of Life Among Non-professional Caregivers: A Pilot Study

BACKGROUND: Chronic stress has a negative effect on health-related quality of life. In challenging environments with multiple stressors, limited access to mental health resources, and cultural impediments to health care delivery, effective and accessible methods of stress management are critical. Activation of self-induced therapeutic tremors (SUTT) may mitigate excess stress and improve quality of life (QoL) under such conditions. OBJECTIVES: To investigate (1) the feasibility of a 10-week SUTT training and practice intervention and (2) the association between participants' use of SUTT and any changes in their self-reported health-related QoL. METHODS: All staff members of the SOS Children's Village in Cape Town, South Africa (n=21) received 10 weeks of SUTT weekly training and group practice along with independent SUTT practice 2 to 3 times weekly. A wellness-based QoL questionnaire was administered before and after the intervention, and participants were instructed to keep a diary of their experiences. RESULTS: Following 10 weeks of SUTT instruction and practice (1) there was a 91.3% adherence rate to the intervention protocol and (2) participants reported their overall impressions of changes in all five QoL domains increased at a statistically significant level: mean scores were 3.81 at pre-test and 4.35 at post-test (P<.05). CONCLUSIONS: A 10-week SUTT instruction and practice protocol is both highly feasible among non-professional caregivers and a potential therapeutic method for improving QoL.