Clinical trial NCT06946888: Effects of Acupressure on Nurses
Official title: Effects of Acupressure on Nurses' Psychological Distress, Anxiety, Depression, Job Stress, Occupational Burnout, and Resilience
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Psychological Distress
Anxiety
Depression
Nurses
Acupressure
Keywords: Nurses
Acupressure
Occupational stress
Burnout, professional
Resilience, psychological
Anxiety
Depression
Psychological distress
Lead sponsor: Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital.
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2025-04-27
Enrollment: 160
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 20
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: This is a single-center, randomized, single-blind, parallel-group trial. Eligible clinical nurses will be randomly assigned (1:1) to either the intervention or control group. The intervention group will receive instruction in self-acupressure on Shenmen and Neiguan acupoints and perform it twice daily for two weeks, recording each session. The control group will continue their usual coping strategies for stress and emotional distress without any intervention. Both groups will complete validated questionnaires on emotional distress, mood, anxiety, depression, stress, fatigue, and resilience. Assessments are conducted weekly for two months (9 times in total) to evaluate the effectiveness of self-acupressure compared to usual care.
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: This measure aimed to understand the effects of self-acupressure (Shenmen and Neiguan points on the hand) on emotional distress, anxiety, depression, stress, work fatigue, and adaptability among clinical nurses. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Whether acupressure therapy can reduce nurses' emotional distress, anxiety, depression, stress, and work fatigue.

Whether to perform acupressure therapy to improve nurse resilience.

Participants will:

1. Enforcement measures:

1. Acupressure group: Perform self-acupressure twice a day, each time for about 2 minutes, and record the acupressure records every day for 2 weeks.
2. Original method group: Follow the original self-coping method and fill out the "Daily Emotional Distress Self-Assessment Form" every day.

2. After the intervention began, participants completed the study questionnaires weekly for two months (9 times in total).

Detailed description: 1. Purpose of the Study:

   The goal of this study is to understand emotional distress, anxiety, depression, stress, workplace fatigue, and resilience among clinical nurses, as well as the factors related to these conditions. We also want to evaluate the effects of different coping methods-either by self-pressing specific acupuncture points (Shenmen and Neiguan on the hand) or using your usual ways of managing stress and anxiety.
2. About the Acupressure Points:

   • Shenmen Point (神門): Shenmen, located on the inner wrist, is a key point on the Heart Meridian. It's often used in traditional Chinese medicine to calm the mind, ease anxiety, help with sleep problems, headaches, and emotional fatigue.

   • Neiguan Point (內關): Neiguan is located on the inner forearm. Pressing this point can help relieve stress, reduce bloating, calm palpitations, and improve sleep. It's often used when feeling tense or anxious.

   • Usual Coping Methods: If you're assigned to this group, you'll simply continue handling stress and anxiety the way you normally do.
3. Who Can Join the Study:

   You can join this study if:
   * You're a clinical nurse aged 20 or older.
   * Your screening results show a distress score of 3 or above, or a mood thermometer score of 4 or above.
   * You're willing and able to fill out questionnaires at specific times over the next two months.

   You cannot join this study if:
   * You participated in a similar study within the last month.
   * You currently work in administrative or non-patient care units (like the supply center).
   * You are currently pregnant.
4. Study Procedures:

   If you agree to participate and sign the consent form, we'll ask you to fill out several questionnaires. These will cover your basic info, emotional distress, mood, depression, anxiety, work stress, fatigue, and resilience. It takes about 10-20 minutes to complete.

   If your distress score is 3 or higher, or your mood score is 4 or higher, you'll be randomly assigned to one of two groups:

   • Acupressure Group: You'll learn how to press the Shenmen and Neiguan points on your hands and do it yourself twice a day (about 2 minutes each time) for 2 weeks. You'll also keep a simple daily log of your acupressure practice.

   • Usual Care Group: You'll continue with your usual ways of coping and fill out a short daily emotional self-assessment form.

   We'll check in with you every week using the same set of questionnaires to track changes for two months. In total, you'll be asked to fill out the survey 9 times.
5. Possible Side Effects and How to Handle Them:

   • From the Acupressure: When pressing the Shenmen or Neiguan points, you might feel a sensation like soreness, tingling, pressure, or slight pain-this is normal and usually tolerable. There's no research showing any harmful side effects from pressing these points. If it ever feels too uncomfortable, you can adjust the pressure.

   • From Participation: The risks of being in this study are similar to your normal daily experiences. If you ever feel unwell or uncomfortable during the study, you're free to stop at any time. You can also contact our emergency contact person.
6. Expected Benefits:

   Past studies and traditional practices suggest that pressing the Shenmen and Neiguan points can help reduce anxiety, stress, insomnia, and related symptoms. While we can't guarantee this study will help you personally, it may help healthcare professionals understand better ways to support nurses-and might benefit others in the future.
7. What We Ask from You During the Study:

   * Don't join other similar clinical studies while participating in this one.
   * Please fill out the daily logs honestly and on time.
   * Provide accurate information in the questionnaires.
8. Your Privacy is Protected:

We'll collect only the information needed for this study. All your personal data and survey responses will be kept confidential. Instead of using your name or personal ID, we'll assign you a code so that your identity remains anonymous in all records.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Clinical nurses aged 20 years or older from a designated medical center.
* Nurses who score ≥3 on the emotional distress thermometer or ≥4 on the Brief Symptom Rating Scale (BSRS-5) based on self-reported questionnaires.
* Able and willing to complete the required study questionnaires during the 2-month study period.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Nurses who refuse to participate after being informed about the study or are unable to comply with the study protocol.
* Nurses working in non-patient-care units (e.g., administrative departments or supply centers).
* Pregnant nurses.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Depression
timeFrame: At baseline and once weekly for 8 weeks.
measure: Mood Thermometer (Brief Symptoms Rating Scale, BSRS-5)
timeFrame: At baseline and once weekly for 8 weeks.
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Resilience
timeFrame: At baseline and once weekly for 8 weeks.
measure: anxiety
timeFrame: At baseline and once weekly for 8 weeks.
measure: Nurse Stress
timeFrame: At baseline and once weekly for 8 weeks.
measure: Workplace fatigue
timeFrame: At baseline and once weekly for 8 weeks.
measure: Distress Thermometer
timeFrame: At baseline and once weekly for 8 weeks.
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Kaohsiung
country: Taiwan
facility: Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital
state: Zuoying District
Study officials:
affiliation: supervise
name: Ying-Li Lin, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: