The effect of Emotional Freedom Techniques on nurses' stress, anxiety, and burnout levels during the COVID-19 pandemic: A randomized controlled trial.
Strong EvidenceIn Plain Language: anxiety, explained
This study explored how a brief online Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) session can help nurses dealing with emotional strain while treating COVID-19 patients. The findings showed that just one session significantly reduced stress, anxiety, and burnout among the nurses. This is important as it highlights an effective method to support the mental health of healthcare workers in high-pressure environments.
Key Findings: what this randomised trial found about anxiety
- ✓35 nurses received the intervention, while 37 were in the control group.
- ✓Significant reductions in stress (p < .001), anxiety (p < .001), and burnout (p < .001) were observed in the intervention group.
- ✓The control group did not show significant changes (p > .05) in these measures.
What This Means for You
For individuals considering reflexology treatment, this study suggests that similar brief interventions could be beneficial in reducing stress and anxiety, particularly for those in high-stress jobs like healthcare.
What This Means for Practitioners
Reflexology practitioners could incorporate short, guided sessions similar to the EFT method used in this study into their practice to help clients achieve better emotional well-being, especially those facing high stress.
Study Design: how this randomised trial was run
Limitations: what it cannot tell you about anxiety
The study was limited by its small sample size and the lack of a placebo control group, which could affect the generalizability of the results.
Anxiety: common questions
What does this study say about anxiety?
For individuals considering reflexology treatment, this study suggests that similar brief interventions could be beneficial in reducing stress and anxiety, particularly for those in high-stress jobs like healthcare.
What did this study find?
35 nurses received the intervention, while 37 were in the control group. Significant reductions in stress (p < .001), anxiety (p < .001), and burnout (p < .001) were observed in the intervention group. The control group did not show significant changes (p > .05) in these measures.
How strong is this evidence?
This is a randomised trial and we rate its evidence strong. It covers 72 participants. It was published in Explore (New York, N.Y.), a Q2 journal. This study is indexed here for context; it did not test reflexology itself.
What are the limitations of this study?
The study was limited by its small sample size and the lack of a placebo control group, which could affect the generalizability of the results.
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