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Experimental and placebo auriculotherapy for stressed nurses: randomized controlled trial
Juliana Miyuki do Prado1, Leonice Fumiko Sato Kurebayashi1, Maria Julia Paes da Silva1
1Universidade de São Paulo, Escola de Enfermagem, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
Revista Da Escola De Enfermagem Da U S P
|June 14, 2018
Summary
Experimental auriculotherapy significantly reduced stress in nurses compared to placebo and control groups. While both auriculotherapy and placebo showed stress reduction, experimental auriculotherapy demonstrated a higher efficacy in this study.
Area of Science:
- Integrative and Complementary Medicine
- Nursing Health
- Psychological Stress Management
Background:
- Nurses experience high levels of stress, impacting their well-being and healthcare quality.
- Auriculotherapy, a form of complementary medicine, has shown potential in managing stress.
- Evidence is needed to compare experimental auriculotherapy with placebo for stress reduction in nurses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effectiveness of experimental auriculotherapy versus sham-point placebo auriculotherapy for treating stress in hospital nurses.
- To evaluate stress reduction in nurses using the List of Stress Symptoms (LSS) tool.
Main Methods:
- A randomized, single-blind, controlled trial involving 168 nurses with medium to high stress levels.
- Participants were allocated to three groups: experimental auriculotherapy (Shenmen and Brainstem points), placebo auriculotherapy (External Ear and Face Area points), or a control group.
- Interventions involved 12 sessions over six weeks, with assessments at baseline, after eight sessions, post-intervention, and at a 15-day follow-up.
Main Results:
- Experimental auriculotherapy resulted in a 43% stress reduction (Cohen's d = 1.81, high effect), with significant differences observed after eight sessions and maintained at follow-up (p <0.001).
- Placebo auriculotherapy achieved a 26% stress reduction (Cohen's d = 0.86, great effect), with significant differences after 12 sessions (p<0.001) and maintained at follow-up (p <0.05).
- The control group showed no significant stress reduction.
Conclusions:
- Experimental auriculotherapy demonstrated superior stress reduction efficacy among nurses compared to placebo and control conditions.
- While both intervention groups showed stress reduction, no statistically significant difference was found between experimental and placebo auriculotherapy.
- The study was registered with the Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (RBR-req2792).
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