Emotional Freedom Techniques and Virtual Reality Application for Fear of Childbirth

NCT ID: NCT06813547

Last Updated: 2025-05-30

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

30 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-01-31

Study Completion Date

2026-05-30

Brief Summary

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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.

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

PREVENTION

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Emotional freedom techniques group

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.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

emotional freedom techniques

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

emotional freedom techniques

Emotional freedom techniques + virtual reality group

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.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

emotional freedom techniques and virtual reality

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

emotional freedom techniques and virtual reality

Control group

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.

Group Type OTHER

control group/ none intervention

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

None intervention

Interventions

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emotional freedom techniques

emotional freedom techniques

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

emotional freedom techniques and virtual reality

emotional freedom techniques and virtual reality

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

control group/ none intervention

None intervention

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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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
Eligible Sex

FEMALE

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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Inonu University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Sinem GUVEN Santur

Res. Assist.

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Zeliha Özşahin, Dr

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

Inonu University

Locations

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Malatya Training and Research Hospital

Malatya, , Turkey (Türkiye)

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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Turkey (Türkiye)

Central Contacts

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Sinem Güven Santur, Msc

Role: CONTACT

00905424640068

Facility Contacts

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Central Campus

Role: primary

References

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Hajesmaeel-Gohari S, Sarpourian F, Shafiei E. Virtual reality applications to assist pregnant women: a scoping review. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2021 Mar 25;21(1):249. doi: 10.1186/s12884-021-03725-5.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33765969 (View on PubMed)

Koo CH, Park JW, Ryu JH, Han SH. The Effect of Virtual Reality on Preoperative Anxiety: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. J Clin Med. 2020 Sep 29;9(10):3151. doi: 10.3390/jcm9103151.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33003411 (View on PubMed)

Freitas JRS, Velosa VHS, Abreu LTN, Jardim RL, Santos JAV, Peres B, Campos PF. Virtual Reality Exposure Treatment in Phobias: a Systematic Review. Psychiatr Q. 2021 Dec;92(4):1685-1710. doi: 10.1007/s11126-021-09935-6. Epub 2021 Jun 26.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 34173160 (View on PubMed)

Guven Santur S, Ozsahin Z. The Effects of Emotional Freedom Techniques Implemented During Early Pregnancy on Nausea-Vomiting Severity and Anxiety: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Integr Complement Med. 2024 Sep;30(9):858-868. doi: 10.1089/jicm.2023.0586. Epub 2024 Mar 27.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 38531058 (View on PubMed)

Maples-Keller JL, Yasinski C, Manjin N, Rothbaum BO. Virtual Reality-Enhanced Extinction of Phobias and Post-Traumatic Stress. Neurotherapeutics. 2017 Jul;14(3):554-563. doi: 10.1007/s13311-017-0534-y.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28512692 (View on PubMed)

Bilgic G, Citak Bilgin N. Relationship Between Fear of Childbirth and Psychological and Spiritual Well-Being in Pregnant Women. J Relig Health. 2021 Feb;60(1):295-310. doi: 10.1007/s10943-020-01087-4. Epub 2020 Sep 19.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 32949330 (View on PubMed)

Aguilera-Martin A, Galvez-Lara M, Blanco-Ruiz M, Garcia-Torres F. Psychological, educational, and alternative interventions for reducing fear of childbirth in pregnant women: A systematic review. J Clin Psychol. 2021 Mar;77(3):525-555. doi: 10.1002/jclp.23071. Epub 2020 Oct 20.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33078851 (View on PubMed)

Anderson CA, Gill M. Childbirth related fears and psychological birth trauma in younger and older age adolescents. Appl Nurs Res. 2014 Nov;27(4):242-8. doi: 10.1016/j.apnr.2014.02.008. Epub 2014 Feb 27.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24726421 (View on PubMed)

Moller L, Josefsson A, Lilliecreutz C, Gunnervik C, Bladh M, Sydsjo G. Reproduction, fear of childbirth and obstetric outcomes in women treated for fear of childbirth in their first pregnancy: A historical cohort. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2019 Mar;98(3):374-381. doi: 10.1111/aogs.13503. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 30431149 (View on PubMed)

Deliktas A, Kukulu K. Pregnant Women in Turkey Experience Severe Fear of Childbirth: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Transcult Nurs. 2019 Sep;30(5):501-511. doi: 10.1177/1043659618823905. Epub 2019 Jan 17.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 30651038 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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Institute of Health Sciences

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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