Auriculotherapy Effectiveness on Stress and Anxiety in Nursing Student

University of Sao Paulo

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 2

Conditions: Anxiety; Stress

Treatments: Other: Auriculotherapy; Other: Placebo Group

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01420848

SISNEP CAAE 0107.0.360.000-11

Details and patient eligibility

About

Single-blind randomized controlled trial aimed to assess stress and anxiety levels in Nursing School students of Beneficence Portuguese Hospital and review the effectiveness of true and placebo auriculotherapy.

Full description

Although researches on stress have a strong focus on stress at work,it is very important the evaluation of the stress and its consequences in Nursing students. This allows to understand which stress factors experienced in a negative way could interfere on the adaptive success in school activities. Students can experience symptoms of the alarm phase of stress such as tachycardia, muscle tension, skin and cold extremities, and also the second phase of stress such as headache, sleepiness, irritability and difficulty concentrating. High levels of stress have a substantial effect on attention and can lead to errors, lack of concentration and fluctuations in the level of attention. The auriculotherapy may have an important role as a coping strategy for stress and anxiety. It is a fast, relatively simple, easily performed, safe and without major side effects.

Enrollment: 71 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 19 to 55 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Average and high score by the List of Stress Symptoms
• Voluntary participation in the study
• Availability of time for submission to the sessions

Exclusion criteria

• Pregnancy
• Medical license or vacation during the period
• Low score of stress

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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71 participants in 3 patient groups, including a placebo group

Auriculotherapy Group

Active Comparator group

Description:

The chinese auriculotherapy is a intervention used by Chinese Traditional Medicine in order to balance the body energy and to treat several kind of diseases using semi-permanent needles in specific points of the auricular pavilion. Two points were chosen to treat stress and anxiety (Shenmen and Brainstem).

Treatment:

Other: Auriculotherapy

Placebo Group

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Auriculotherapy by sham, at the fist and outer ear points. These points aren't indicated for stress and anxiety.

Treatment:

Other: Placebo Group

Control Group

No Intervention group

Description:

Control Group didn't receive any treatment and was evaluated at the same time and the same way of interventions group