The Influence of Homeopathic Medicines
on Thought Interference, Nervousness and Anxiety in University Students under Examination Conditions.

By Gabrielle Traub

March 2000, South Africa

ABSTRACT

The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of homeopathic remedies on thought interference, nervousness and anxiety in university students under examination conditions. It was hypothesized that the homeopathic remedies: Kalium Phosphoricum, Argentum Nitricum and Gelsemium Sempervirens would result in a substantial improvement in all aspects of test anxiety and thought interference and could be used as a treatment for this condition.

The study was a double blind clinical trial, comparing a placebo control with an experimental group. The study took place over one week. Thirty-two students experiencing difficulty with thought interference, nervousness and anxiety were analyzed. The subjects were divided into and experimental group and a non-experimental group, ensuring that each group had an equal representation of subjects according to age, sex, course of study, year of study and previous academic achievement. Group 1 was given homeopathically medicated powders; Group 2 was given un-medicated powders (placebo i.e. lactose granules)

The Test Anxiety Profile (TAP) was used to measure the Feelings of Anxiety (FA) and Thought Interference (TI) experienced under different examination situations. Random questions from each section of a group GSAT test was used to provide test experience from which each subject could assess his or her FA and TI levels. These were administered immediately before administering the TAP.

Thus GSAT Test 1, followed by TAP (pre-test) was administered on a Monday. GSAT Test 2, followed by TAP 2 (post-test) was administered on the Friday of the same week. In-between TAP 1 and TAP 2, the homeopathic medicines were administered.

The numerical data obtained from the TAP were statistically analyzed using the Mann-Whitney Rank Sum Test.

Group 1 (experimental group) had an overall 15,42% decrease in FA, whereas group 2 (placebo group) had a 2,32 increase in FA. When the individual FA scores were analyzed comparing the difference in the median values between group 1 and Group 2, there was no statistical difference, except in the "Math test" section of the TAP (22.59% and -1.44% respectively), where there was a statistical difference (P=0,0384)

Figure 1 Graph illustrating the decrease in feelings of anxiety.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Group 1 (experimental group) had an overall 11,88% decrease in TI compared to an 8,50% decrease in group 2 (placebo group). When the individual TI scores were analyzed comparing the difference in the median values between Group 1 and Group 2, there was no statistical difference, except in the "Giving a talk in front of a class" section (11.36% and -1.40% respectively), where there was a statistically significant difference (P=0.00623).

Figure 2 Graph illustrating the decrease in thought interference.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Results

From the results, it was apparent that homeopathic medicine is effective in reducing thought interference and feelings of anxiety in tertiary level students under examination conditions.