Effect of Therapeutic Touch on Burnout and Well-Being in Midwives

N/AActive Not RecruitingNCT07691788

KTO Karatay University90 enrolled

Overview

This single-center, randomized controlled trial evaluates the effect of Therapeutic Touch on levels of burnout and psychological well-being among midwives who are actively working in a clinical setting. Participants are randomly allocated to one of three parallel groups: a Therapeutic Touch (intervention) group, a placebo/sham group, and a no-intervention control group. The investigators hypothesize that Therapeutic Touch will reduce burnout and improve psychological well-being compared with the placebo and control conditions.

Background: Midwifery is a health discipline characterized by heavy workload and stressful clinical situations that require high levels of physical, emotional, and cognitive effort. Prolonged exposure to chronic stressors can lead to burnout, which negatively affects both the quality of midwifery care and midwives' general well-being. Therapeutic Touch (TT) is a non-invasive energy-field intervention aimed at balancing the individual's energy field. Evidence suggests that TT may reduce stress and anxiety, promote relaxation, and enhance overall well-being; however, studies directly examining its effect on the stress, burnout, and well-being of clinically working midwives are limited. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of Therapeutic Touch in reducing burnout and improving general well-being among midwives working in a clinical setting. Design: Single-center, single-blind, pretest-posttest, three-arm, randomized controlled experimental trial. The three arms are: (1) intervention group receiving Therapeutic Touch, (2) placebo/sham group, and (3) no-intervention control group. Setting and Participants: The study population consists of midwives actively working at Elazig Fethi Sekin City Hospital. Sample Size: The sample size will be calculated using G\*Power 3.1.9.7 based on comparable studies, with a Type I error (alpha) of 0.05, power (1-beta) of 0.80, and the anticipated effect size. To account for possible dropouts, the sample size will be increased by 15-20%. Randomization and Blinding: Participants will be allocated to groups using block randomization or a computer-generated random number table. The trial is single-blind (outcome assessor blinded to group allocation). Intervention Period: The intervention is delivered over a 4-week period. Data Collection Tools: (1) Personal Information Form covering sociodemographic and occupational characteristics; (2) Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI): a 22-item, 5-point Likert scale with three subscales (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment); (3) Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWB, Diener flourishing short form): an 8-item, 7-point Likert scale. Withdrawal Criterion: Voluntary withdrawal from the study during the 4-week intervention period. Statistical Analysis: Data will be analyzed with SPSS. After assessing distribution, descriptive statistics will be reported and between-group and within-group comparisons of the pretest and posttest scores will be performed using appropriate statistical tests for a three-arm randomized design. Statistical significance will be set at p \< 0.05.

Conditions

Burnout, Professional Psychological Well-Being

Interventions

Therapeutic TouchBEHAVIORAL

A non-invasive energy-field intervention in which the practitioner uses the hands to detect and rebalance imbalances in the participant's energy field, delivered over a 4-week period.

Sham Therapeutic TouchBEHAVIORAL

A placebo/sham procedure resembling Therapeutic Touch but without the intended energy-field component, delivered over a 4-week period.

Eligibility

Sex: FEMALEMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 65 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Aged 18-65 years * Actively practicing midwifery in the field/clinic for at least one year * No prior energy therapy (Reiki, healing touch, Therapeutic Touch) * Literate and willing to volunteer for the study * Open to communication and cooperation Exclusion Criteria: * Currently being followed for a psychiatric diagnosis * Currently using antidepressant, anxiolytic, or sleep-regulating medication * Having touch sensitivity or a phobia-level aversion to being touched

Locations (1)

Elazig Fethi Sekin City Hospital

Elâzığ, Turkey (Türkiye)

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Change in burnout level measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI)

The Maslach Burnout Inventory is a 22-item, 5-point Likert scale with three subscales: emotional exhaustion (score range 0-36), depersonalization (0-20), and reduced personal accomplishment (0-32). Higher emotional exhaustion and depersonalization scores and lower personal accomplishment scores indicate greater burnout. Subscales are evaluated separately.

Time frame: Baseline (pretest) and after the 4-week intervention (posttest)

Change in psychological well-being measured by the Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWB)

The Psychological Well-Being Scale (Diener flourishing short form) is an 8-item, 7-point Likert scale. Total scores range from 8 to 56, with higher scores indicating greater psychological resources and strengths.

Time frame: Baseline (pretest) and after the 4-week intervention (posttest)

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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