Lay perspectives of the open-label placebo rationale: a qualitative study of participants in an experimental trial
Objectives To analyse participants’ concepts about the open-label placebo (OLP) effect; to explore their views about the discussion points that are applied in conventional OLP trials and to examine their experiences of taking part in an OLP trial.Design A qualitative study using thematic analysis of...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMJ Publishing Group
2021-08-01
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| Series: | BMJ Open |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/8/e053346.full |
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| author | Cosima Locher Antje Frey Nascimento Jens Gaab Charlotte Blease Sarah Buergler Linda Kost |
| author_facet | Cosima Locher Antje Frey Nascimento Jens Gaab Charlotte Blease Sarah Buergler Linda Kost |
| author_sort | Cosima Locher |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives To analyse participants’ concepts about the open-label placebo (OLP) effect; to explore their views about the discussion points that are applied in conventional OLP trials and to examine their experiences of taking part in an OLP trial.Design A qualitative study using thematic analysis of semistructured interviews that were nested within a randomised controlled trial investigating experimental OLP analgesia (registered at ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02578420).Participants 30 healthy adults who took part in the randomised controlled trial.Results Participants mostly conceptualised placebo as something that is inert and requires deception in order to be effective. Interviewees used a broad definition of placebos, going beyond a conventional notion of sugar pills. In contrast to the conventional OLP rationale, participants seldom emphasised classical conditioning as a mechanism of placebo effects, stressing a variety of other well-established components through which placebos might be therapeutic, whereas the conventional OLP disclosures state that ‘a positive attitude helps but is not necessary’, participants in our study applied other attitudes, such as ‘it’s worth a try’. When asked about their experiences during the trial, the majority emphasised that the concept of OLP was completely novel to them. Participants were rather sceptical about the efficacy of the intervention.Conclusion Integrating lay perspectives into the scientific rationale of OLP treatments might enhance the plausibility and credibility of the rationale in ethical treatments.Trial registration number NCT02578420. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bc3a8097ed924847b98c53829ddc5e31 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2044-6055 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-bc3a8097ed924847b98c53829ddc5e312024-12-08T03:50:08ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552021-08-0111810.1136/bmjopen-2021-053346Lay perspectives of the open-label placebo rationale: a qualitative study of participants in an experimental trialCosima Locher0Antje Frey Nascimento1Jens Gaab2Charlotte Blease3Sarah Buergler4Linda Kost54 Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland2 Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland4 Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Basel, Basel, SwitzerlandDepartment of Women`s and Children`s Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden2 Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland2 Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology, University of Basel, Basel, SwitzerlandObjectives To analyse participants’ concepts about the open-label placebo (OLP) effect; to explore their views about the discussion points that are applied in conventional OLP trials and to examine their experiences of taking part in an OLP trial.Design A qualitative study using thematic analysis of semistructured interviews that were nested within a randomised controlled trial investigating experimental OLP analgesia (registered at ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02578420).Participants 30 healthy adults who took part in the randomised controlled trial.Results Participants mostly conceptualised placebo as something that is inert and requires deception in order to be effective. Interviewees used a broad definition of placebos, going beyond a conventional notion of sugar pills. In contrast to the conventional OLP rationale, participants seldom emphasised classical conditioning as a mechanism of placebo effects, stressing a variety of other well-established components through which placebos might be therapeutic, whereas the conventional OLP disclosures state that ‘a positive attitude helps but is not necessary’, participants in our study applied other attitudes, such as ‘it’s worth a try’. When asked about their experiences during the trial, the majority emphasised that the concept of OLP was completely novel to them. Participants were rather sceptical about the efficacy of the intervention.Conclusion Integrating lay perspectives into the scientific rationale of OLP treatments might enhance the plausibility and credibility of the rationale in ethical treatments.Trial registration number NCT02578420.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/8/e053346.full |
| spellingShingle | Cosima Locher Antje Frey Nascimento Jens Gaab Charlotte Blease Sarah Buergler Linda Kost Lay perspectives of the open-label placebo rationale: a qualitative study of participants in an experimental trial BMJ Open |
| title | Lay perspectives of the open-label placebo rationale: a qualitative study of participants in an experimental trial |
| title_full | Lay perspectives of the open-label placebo rationale: a qualitative study of participants in an experimental trial |
| title_fullStr | Lay perspectives of the open-label placebo rationale: a qualitative study of participants in an experimental trial |
| title_full_unstemmed | Lay perspectives of the open-label placebo rationale: a qualitative study of participants in an experimental trial |
| title_short | Lay perspectives of the open-label placebo rationale: a qualitative study of participants in an experimental trial |
| title_sort | lay perspectives of the open label placebo rationale a qualitative study of participants in an experimental trial |
| url | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/8/e053346.full |
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