Emotional Freedom Technique (tapping) to reduce parents' anxiety during newborn hearing screening
Emotional Freedom Technique for Parental Anxiety Regarding Newborn Hearing Screening
This trial tests whether a brief 15-minute Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) tapping session can lower mothers' anxiety while they wait for their newborn's first hearing screening.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 70 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Abant Izzet Baysal University Academic / other |
| Locations | 2 sites (Bolu and 1 other locations) |
| Trial ID | NCT07421063 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This randomized, controlled trial will enroll 70 parents at two public hospitals in Bolu, Turkey and randomly assign them to a 15-minute guided EFT tapping session or to a no-intervention control group. Participants are stratified by baseline state anxiety using block randomization to ensure balanced groups. Anxiety is measured with validated scales immediately before and after the 15-minute period to capture acute changes. The protocol standardizes conditions (for example, relatives care for the infant during the session and participants with situational triggers are excluded) to reduce confounding.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Parents (primarily mothers in the study description) whose newborn is undergoing their first newborn hearing screening, who can communicate in the local language, have no prior EFT training, and consent to participate are eligible.
Not a fit: People with diagnosed psychiatric disorders or epilepsy, those whose infants are crying or breastfeeding during the procedure, those whose screening starts before the protocol is complete, or those already trained in EFT are unlikely to benefit or be eligible.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If effective, the intervention could offer a quick, low-cost way to reduce acute parental anxiety during the newborn hearing screening visit.
How similar studies have performed: EFT has shown reductions in psychological distress in other clinical and nonclinical settings, but its application specifically to parental anxiety during newborn hearing screening is novel and under-researched.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Parents of neonates who are undergoing the newborn hearing screening (NHS) for the first time. * Ability to communicate effectively in the native language without language barriers. * No prior experience or training in applying the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). * Voluntary agreement to participate in the study and completion of the informed consent form. Exclusion Criteria: * Known history of diagnosed psychiatric disorders or epilepsy. * Situations where the neonate is crying or being breastfed immediately prior to the intervention or during the assessment. * The scheduled hearing screening procedure is initiated before the 30-35-minute study protocol is completed. * Occurrence of any acute situational triggers or environmental distractions that may interfere with the stability of anxiety measurements.
Where this trial is running
Bolu and 1 other locations
- Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University, Izzet Baysal Training and Research Hospital, Newborn Hearing Screening Center — Bolu, Turkey (Türkiye) (Recruiting)
- Bolu Izzet Baysal State Hospital, Newborn Hearing Screening Center — Bolu, Turkey (Türkiye) (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Sümeyra Alan, PhD — Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi
- Study coordinator: Sümeyra Alan, PhD
- Email: sumeyraalan@ibu.edu.tr
- Phone: +90 5054568535
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.