The effect of emotional freedom technique applied to women with traumatic perception of birth on perception of birth, anxiety and well-being

The Effect of Emotional Freedom Technique Applied to Women with Traumatic Perception of Birth on Perception of Birth, Anxiety and Well-Being Aim: The research was conducted to determine the effects of the emotional freedom technique applied to women with a traumatic perception of birth on birth perception, anxiety and psychological well-being. Material and Method: The study was conducted as a randomized controlled trial with a total of 132 women who applied to Elazığ Yurtbaşı Family Health Center between October 2023 and June 2024 (66 EFT, 66 control). In the study, the women in the EFT group were administered EFT a total of 16 times by the researcher: once face-to-face at the first encounter, twice a day online for a week, and once face-to-face at the end of a week. No intervention was applied to the control group. The primary outcome of the study, perception of labor, was assessed using the TBPS. Secondary outcomes, anxiety level was assessed with the BAI and psychological well-being with the PWBS. The results were adjusted according to the initial level using ANCOVA, and the post-intervention scores were compared. Results: Mean scores for perception of traumatic birth (32.86±9.38 vs. 52.93±15.32; p<0.001) and anxiety level (3.68±2.00 vs. 5.77±2.74; p<0.001) decreased significantly in the EFT group compared to the control group. Mean scores for psychological well-being improved in the EFT group compared to the control group, but there was no statistically significant difference between the groups (49.45±3.44 vs. 48.84±4.02; p=0.073). Conclusion: EFT is a promising strategy to help improve perception of birth, reduce anxiety levels, and increase psychological well-being in women with a traumatic perception of birth. Larger clinical trials of EFT are recommended to support its introduction into clinical practice. Keywords: Anxiety, Emotional freedom technique, Midwifery, Psychological Well-being, Perception of traumatic birth