Mind/body relationship re-explored: Impact of patient's hope, expectation, health locus of control, and mind/body dualistic belief on self-reported outcome of acupuncture

Sixty-four adult patients of Traditional Acupuncture completed the Goal Attainment Scale, Dualism Scale, Herth Hope Scale, and Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale. After three-month acupuncture treatment, they rated their goal attainment level.;Patients perceived significant improvements. Two treatment variables (actual and expected frequency of treatment), patient variables (readiness of participation and demographics), and dyadic variables (doctors' gender, patients' willingness to inform medical doctors and to consent for release) do not predict improvements. The number of past adjunct treatments, however, correlates with goal attainment. In retrospect, such correlation may suggest that patients who engage in more health-maintenance activities are more aware of and verbal about health changes, or have stronger recovering ability enhanced by the adjunct treatments or more coping strategies. This correlation, however, may not mean acupuncture is ineffective.;The strength of patients' mind/body dualistic belief does not predict the holistic/dualistic nature of patients' goals. Patients' expectation level does not correlate with hope either. Among the three health loci of control, only the patients' Powerful Others Health Locus predicts expectation. The relationship is negative, however: the stronger the patients' Powerful Others Health Locus, the less they expect from acupuncture. This reverse relationship is interpreted as a result of Traditional Acupuncture's collaborative model. The patients' level of expectation from acupuncture is not dependent upon patients' Internal and Chance Health Loci of Control.;Among the factors for improvements, patients' expectation level and Powerful Others Health Locus correlate with goal attainment. However, both correlations are also negative: the higher the expectation, or the stronger the Powerful Others Health Locus, the less likely they will attain goals. The negative correlation challenges the placebo effect and may indicate Traditional Acupuncture's collaborative model and patients' self-surrender to treatment. No relationship was found between the nature of patients' goals of acupuncture treatment and one's degree of mind/body dualistic belief, and between one's level of positive expectation from treatment and general hopefulness.;Theoretical and clinical implications for health, psychology, and health education, the strengths and weaknesses of this study are discussed. Future directions for research are also recommended.