The Cyprus Psychologists Association has issued a statement warning patients and the public about bioresonance (biosyntonismos) and other unproven therapies, following recent media coverage and public statements promoting the method for treating mental health conditions.
The Association said claims attributing therapeutic effectiveness to such methods, or invoking concepts such as “quantum physics” without reliable scientific evidence, risk misleading people seeking care for their mental health.
According to the Association, bioresonance is an alternative method that claims to detect and “rebalance” the body’s electromagnetic frequencies.
It said there is no reliable scientific evidence for the method’s mechanism or effectiveness in relation to any psychiatric condition, and that bioresonance does not feature in any clinical guideline issued by a recognised medical or psychiatric body, including the American Psychological Association (APA), the European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations (EFPA) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
It added that, according to reviews by the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and European clinical guidelines, bioresonance is based on untested theories and has not been shown to outperform the placebo effect in any health condition, with no clinically tested evidence for its use in psychological conditions such as panic attacks.
Why panic attacks and other disorders cannot be treated with alternative therapies
The Association said panic attacks, agoraphobia, depression and other psychiatric disorders have a specific neurobiological and psychosocial basis, and are effectively treated with evidence-based therapeutic approaches such as Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy and, where indicated based on the person’s level of functional difficulty, medication.
It said choosing methods without scientific backing does not treat the disorder but allows symptoms to become chronic and delays the substantive help a person could receive. It added that alternative therapies presented as scientific and carrying unjustifiably high costs amount to expensive placebos, on which patients spend money and time while their condition fails to improve, or worsens.
The Association said it supports exclusively therapies that are scientifically evidence-based and is firmly opposed to pseudo-science. It said evidence-based psychological therapies offer measurable results, transparent methodology and protection for the patient, whereas the promotion of unproven methods by mental health professionals constitutes a serious ethical issue.
The Association also noted that its Code of Ethics sets clear rules on how psychologists may present their services to the public. It said information must be provided professionally, on an evidence-based footing and responsibly, rather than through commercial promotional practices that could mislead people or create unjustified expectations.
It said the Code requires that the promotion of services be based on professional rather than commercial criteria (Chapter X, Article 52), citing testimonials from “satisfied clients” and the offer of free trial services to attract clients (Chapter X, Article 64) as examples, while also requiring psychologists to avoid statements or claims that overstate the effectiveness of the services they provide (Chapter X, Article 65).
The Association called on citizens, before beginning any psychological therapy, to ask the professional whether the method they use is scientifically evidence-based and recognised by international organisations, and to seek information from valid and reliable sources. It said it remains available to the public to answer questions and provide further clarification on the matter.
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