Completed

NCT Number: NCT07436832

Emotional Freedom Technique

This study was conducted as a randomized controlled trial to examine the effect of the Emotional Freedom Technique on preoperative anxiety and postpartum depression in high-risk pregnant women who had decided to undergo planned cesarean delivery. Data were collected from women diagnosed with high-risk pregnancy who had made the decision for planned cesarean delivery in the last trimester of pregnancy. In the Emotional Freedom Technique group, the technique was applied during the preoperative period, while the standard care group received only standard care. The study was completed with 30 women in the Emotional Freedom Technique group and 32 women in the standard care group. The "Pregnant Introductory Information Form," the "State-Trait Anxiety Inventory," and the "Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale" were used as data collection tools. Pre-test and post-test applications of the scales were performed, and on the 21st day postpartum, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was administered. For data analysis, descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test, paired samples t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation analyses were used.

Completed

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Key information

Conditions

High Risk Pregnancy

Age range

18 year–45 year

Sex eligibility

Female

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

mersin University

Mersin, Turkey (Türkiye)

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Participants meeting the following criteria will be included in the study:

Identified as at-risk pregnancies according to the Ministry of Health Risk Assessment Form,

Able to speak and understand Turkish,

Aged between 18 and 45 years,

Have a planned cesarean delivery decision,

Have a gestational age of 36 weeks or more,

Have a State Anxiety Inventory (STAI-State) mean score of 37 or higher,

Voluntarily agree to participate in the study.

Exclusion criteria

Participants meeting any of the following criteria will be excluded from the study:

Pregnant women evaluated between March 1, 2024 and September 30, 2024 at Ankara Etlik City Hospital, Perinatology Clinic, who decline voluntary participation,

Pregnant women classified as low-risk according to the Ministry of Health Risk Assessment Form,

Younger than 18 years or older than 45 years,

Those who undergo vaginal delivery,

Pregnant women with a gestational age of 35 weeks or less,

Those with a State Anxiety Inventory (STAI-State) mean score of 36 or lower,

Pregnant women with any psychiatric disorder or diagnosis,

Those unable to speak or understand Turkish,

Participants who withdraw from the study at any stage at their own request.

Treatment and study plan

Emotional Freedom Tecnic

Other

Emotional Freedom Technique application to high-risk pregnant women

Primary outcomes

State Anxiety Scale mean score

Time frame: Before intervention (baseline) and immediately after intervention (post-test)

Mean change in State Anxiety Scorefrom baseline to post-intervention (immediately after treatment), Minimum score: 20, Maximum score: 80, Higher scores indicate higher levels of state (situational) anxiety, Lower scores indicate lower levels of state anxiety.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Mersin University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

The Effect of Emotional Freedom Technique Applied to High-Risk Pregnant Women on Anxiety and Postpartum Depression: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Acronym: EFT

Important dates

Study start: 2024
Primary completion: 2024
Study completion: 2024
First posted: Feb 27, 2026
Registry last updated: Feb 27, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

Completed