Emotional Freedom Techniques and Virtual Reality Application for Fear of Childbirth

Inonu University

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Primiparous Pregnant Women; Emotional Freedom Technique; Attachment; Mental Well-being; Fear of Childbirth; Virtual Reality

Treatments: Behavioral: emotional freedom techniques and virtual reality; Behavioral: control group/ none intervention; Behavioral: emotional freedom techniques

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06813547

Institute of Health Sciences

Details and patient eligibility

About

Fear of labour in primiparous pregnant women is an important factor that directly affects the mother-infant relationship and the mental health of the mother. In this process, it is common for expectant mothers to experience feelings of uncertainty and anxiety about labour. Such intense fear of birth may weaken maternal attachment and make it difficult for her to establish a healthy emotional relationship with her baby. In addition, this fear may negatively affect the mother's mental well-being and increase the risk of depression and anxiety.

In this context, emotional liberation techniques (EFT) and virtual reality (VR) applications stand out as effective nonpharmacological methods used to reduce fear of childbirth in primiparous pregnant women. EFT is a technique that provides relaxation by touching the energy meridians that help the person to regulate negative emotions and cope with stress. SG, on the other hand, allows expectant mothers to interact with simulations similar to the real world in a virtual environment, providing therapeutic benefits through distraction, stress reduction and cognitive restructuring, allowing them to manage their fears about birth and enter the process more prepared. The use of SLT and SG, especially for primiparous pregnant women, can alleviate these women's anxiety about childbirth and enable them to approach the process in a safer and more conscious manner. Thus, it may also help to reduce the negative effects on the mother's postnatal attachment and mental health.

This study aims to examine the effects of SLT and SG practices on fear of childbirth, attachment and mental well-being, and to reveal the effects of these two methods on primiparous pregnant women. In this context, this study will fill the gap in the literature by providing a new perspective in clinical practice and antenatal education programmes and will make important contributions to increase antenatal attachment and mental well-being in primiparous pregnancy.

Enrollment: 30 estimated patients

Sex: Female

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• No verbal communication problems
• Primiparous pregnancy
• 32/0-38/0 weeks of gestation
• Having a single, viable foetus
• No psychiatric disorder
• No obstetric complications
• Absence of scar tissue or an obstacle to touch at the points of EFT application

Exclusion criteria

• Not wanting to continue the research
• Early labour

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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30 participants in 3 patient groups

Emotional freedom techniques group

Experimental group

Description:

Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) application group; Participants will receive EFT intervention once a week for four weeks, with pre- and post-assessment using scales and subjective experience units.

Treatment:

Behavioral: emotional freedom techniques

Emotional freedom techniques + virtual reality group

Experimental group

Description:

Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) and Virtual Reality (VR) application group; Participants will receive both EFT and VR interventions once a week for four weeks, with pre- and post-assessment using scales and subjective experience units.

Treatment:

Behavioral: emotional freedom techniques and virtual reality

Control group

Other group

Description:

Control group; Participants will receive standard antenatal care with pre- and post-assessment using scales and subjective experience units, but no EFT or VR intervention.

Treatment:

Behavioral: control group/ none intervention