Effect of Emotional Freedom Technique on Fear of Childbirth and Stress among Primiparous Women during the First Stage of Labor

Document Type : Original Article

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Assistant Professor of Woman's Health and Midwifery Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Mansoura University, Egypt.

Abstract

Fear of childbirth refers to feelings of uncertainty and anxiety before, during, or postpartum that have negative childbirth outcomes. Emotional Freedom Technique is a psychophysiological intervention that helps in reducing fear of childbirth, posttraumatic stress disorder, improving the individual‟s negative emotions and managing associated physical disorders. Aim: evaluate the effect of Emotional Freedom Technique on fear of childbirth and stress among primiparous women during the first stage of labor. Design: Quasi experimental study was used. Study sample: A purposive sample of one hundred and two primiparous women was allocated to either the intervention or the control group, with 51 women in each group. Tools of data collection: Three tools were used; a structured interview questionnaire, childbirth attitudes questionnaire & subjective units of distress scale. Results: The present study findings showed that in the latent, active & transitional phases of labor after applying Emotional Freedom Technique, there were highly statistically significant decrease in fear of childbirth and stress of childbirth in favor of the intervention group (p= 0.001). Conclusion: Emotional Freedom was an effective technique in reducing primiparous women‟s fear of childbirth & stress at the first stage of labor. Recommendations: Utilization of Emotional Freedom Technique as a routine care to reduce fear of childbirth and stress among primiparous women during labor.

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