PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of hand reflexology on the physiological?emotional responses and immunity of the patients with chronic illness. This study looked specifically at patients with chronic renal failure(CRF) and cancer patients. METHOD: This study was designed as a quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group pre and post test. Subjects were 54 patients who received dialysis and chemotherapy in one hospital. Thirty-one patients were assigned to the experimental group and 23 to the control group. The hand reflexology was applied to both hands of the experiment group for ten minutes each time, 5 times during three days. For data collection, physiological lab levels, immune cells of blood and questionnaires for emotional responses were measured before and after the program. RESULT: BT of the experiment group was decreased significantly on both of the 1st and the 5th application. PR and BP were decreased significantly on the 1st times, but not 5th times. Hb levels of the experimental group were significantly increased. And emotional responses, vigor and mood scores of the experiment group were significantly increased. B cell and CD19 were increased significantly on the experiment group. Suppressor T cell and NK cell showed significant decrease after the program, but no significant differences between the groups. CONCLUSION: We have found that the hand reflexology helps the chronic patients to improve physiological emotional responses and the immune reaction. Through this result, the hand reflexology is effective as a intervention of psychoneuroimmunologic function.

The purpose of this study was to identify emotional responses, of stroke patients using Q analysis. From the data analysis, five types of emotional responses in stroke patients were classified as follows. 1. Acceptance and Overcoming : They attached to life strongly and had self-confidence of recovery. They were striving against their situation through using anything else good for their recovery. 2. Anger Type : They recognized a labile feeling and were angered easily. They had a self-confident and self-esteemed personality before they had a stroke. 3. Conflict Type : They wanted interaction with others. This individual recognized that no one knows their agonies. They were thankful to god or their family, while they could not control their minds. Their family supports were low. 4. Deficiency of self-esteem Type : They had a self-confidence of recovery, but they were in fear of interaction with others. Especially, they were ashamed of themselves. They have a high sense of responsibility and nigh self-esteem for themselves before they had a stroke. 5. Despair Type. : They were sorry to trouble their family. They felt depression, anxiety, darkness, uselessness of themselves, and they wanted to die. They recognized financial burden. for their family. The characteristics of the five types of stroke patient identified in this study will be used to assess emotional nursing needs for stroke patients. The findings of this study will provide practical guidelines for developing nursing interventions for stroke patients based on the characteristics of subjectivity types.