Potency of Emotional Freedom Technique on Post partum blues and parenting stress among Post caesarean section mothers in selected hospitals at Erode – Partially randomized patient preference study

Sampoornam. W

Professor, Department of Mental Health Nursing, Annai JKK Sampoorani Ammal College of Nursing, Komarapalayam, India.

*Corresponding Author E-mail: sampoornamwebster@yahoo.in

ABSTRACT:

Context: The first months postpartum can be challenging for parents, leading to elevated symptoms of parenting stress, depression and anxiety. Methods: The aim of this study was to compare the potency of emotional freedom technique on post partum blues and parenting stress among post caesarean section mothers. The total sample size was 150 post partum caesarean section mothers. All study subjects were asked preferences about emotional freedom technique or standard methods of care. According to their strong preference the treatment conditions were allocated. 150 subjects were interviewed before intervention by assessing background variables. On the 2^nd post caesarean section day, the subjects were assessed for postpartum blues by using Likert Am I Blue? Assessment scale and parental stress was measured by adopting parental stress scale. Experimental arm received emotional freedom technique for 30 minutes, twice a day (morning and evening) for 4 days. Control arm received standard methods of care. Posttest was conducted by using the same assessment techniques in experimental arm and control arm. Results: Paired‘t’ test and Unpaired‘t’ test showed statistical significance by scaling down the symptoms of post partum blues and parenting stress in experimental arm comparatively to the control arm among post caesarean section mothers. Conclusion: Emotional freedom technique was quite effective for curtailing the symptoms of post partum blues and parenting stress among post caesarean section mothers.

KEYWORDS: Emotional freedom technique, Post partum blues, Parenting stress, Post caesarean section mothers.

INTRODUCTION:

Postpartum blues, also known as baby blues and maternity blues, is a very common but self-limited condition that begins shortly after childbirth and can present with a variety of symptoms such as mood swings, irritability and tearfulness.

According to one particular study, the three predisposing factors most often found in women who developed postpartum blues were higher levels of depressive symptoms during pregnancy, at least one previous episode of diagnosed depression, and a history of premenstrual depression or other menstrual-related mood changes (O'Hara MW, Wisner KL, 2014).

Other studies have also proposed that elevated monoamine oxidase levels or decreased serotoninergic activity in the immediate postpartum period are also significant risk factors or etiological characteristics that could predispose a woman to the development of postpartum blues (Sacher J, Wilson, etal, 2010, Doornbos B, Fekkes D, etal, 2008).

Postpartum depression and parenting distress are the most common psychological disturbances and a growing scientific evidence suggests that both mothers and fathers are involved in this developmental crisis. The first month after partum represents a critical phase of parents life and it could be considered a developmental crisis characterized by anxiety, stress and mood alterations that could have important repercussions on the child psycho-physical development (Maria Stella Epifanio, etal, 2015).

In the literature, scientific studies evaluating the effectiveness of EFT on depression are included. In addition, with this study, an important step will be taken to include an easy-to-apply, inexpensive therapeutic method such as pregnancy and postpartum depression treatments and evidence will be sought to ensure that all professionals dealing with women's health, especially midwifery, use this technique (Neslihan Ozcan, 2020).

Hitherto paucity of nursing literatures abounded on intervention like emotional freedom technique on post partum blues and parenting stress, besides this study focus on hypothetical testing by comparing the potency of emotional freedom technique on post partum blues and parenting stress among post caesarean section mothers based on partially randomized patient’s preference.

METHODS:

After obtaining written informed consent, post partum caesarean section mothers who fulfilled the inclusion criteria was recruited and enrolled in this study in selected hospitals at Erode. The design used for the present study was experimental design with partially randomized patient preference. Purposive sampling technique was used to recruit the study subjects.

The total sample size was 150 post partum caesarean section mothers. All study subjects were asked preferences about emotional freedom technique or standard methods of care. According to their strong preference the treatment conditions were allocated. The study subjects without strong preference regarding the treatment conditions alone were randomized, but all subjects were included in this study.

All 150 subjects were interviewed before intervention by assessing background variables. On the 2^nd post caesarean section day, the subjects were assessed for postpartum blues by using Likert Am I Blue? Assessment scale and parental stress was measured by adopting parental stress scale. Experimental arm received emotional freedom technique. EFT tapping acupressure points were divided into five steps viz identify the issue, test the initial intensity, the setup, EFT tapping sequence mainly focuses on nine meridians and test the final intensity. Emotional freedom technique was rendered for 30 minutes, twice a day (morning and evening) for 4 days. Control arm received standard methods of care. Posttest was conducted by using the same assessment techniques in experimental arm and control arm.

RESULTS:

Paired‘t’ test and Unpaired‘t’ test showed statistical significance by scaling down the symptoms of post partum blues and parenting stress in experimental arm comparatively to the control arm among post caesarean section mothers (Table 1 and 2).

Table 1: Post partum blues in experimental arm and control arm with pre and posttest scores

Variable	Experimental arm And Control arm	Mean ± SE	Significance Paired ‘t’ test
			Experimental arm Pre – Post	Control arm Pre – Post
Post partum blues	Experimental arm Pretest	16.1 ± 2.5	t = 7.38 P =0.001 Significant	t = 1.75 P =0.33
	Experimental arm Posttest	11.1 ± 1.3
	Control arm Pretest	15.7± 2.2	Significance Unpaired ‘t’ test
	Control arm Posttest	14.8± 2.0	Experimental arm and Control arm posttest
			t = 6.48 P =0.001 Significant

N = 150 (n1=95, n2=55)

Table 2: Parenting stress in experimental arm and control arm with pre and posttest scores

Variable	Experimental arm and Control arm	Mean ± SE	Significance Paired ‘t’ test
			Experimental arm Pre – Post	Control arm Pre – Post
Parenting stress	Experimental arm Pretest	17.1 ± 2.8	t = 8.38 P =0.001 Significant	t = 2.89 P =0.35
	Experimental arm Posttest	13.1 ± 2.3
	Control arm Pretest	16.7± 2.5	Significance Unpaired ‘t’ test
	Control arm Posttest	15.8± 2.2	Experimental arm and Control arm posttest
			t = 7.16 P =0.001 Significant

N = 150 (n1=95, n2=55)

DISCUSSION:

The study findings revealed that administration of Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) was significant in scaling down the symptoms of post partum blues and parenting stress. Only one study has been reached, in which EFT is applied during pregnancy and this study is related to stress and endurance (Neslihan Ozcan, 2020).

One of the psychotherapeutic techniques, whose numbers have increased rapidly in recent years, is Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT). It combines cognitive therapy, acceptance and stability therapy, and acupuncture point stimulation, and is based on manual stimulation of acupuncture points specific to Shiatsu or other acupressure massage forms, rather than using acupuncture needles. Manual pressure on acupuncture sites has been found to be as effective as acupuncture needling technique. It is an initiative that can be applied by individuals and midwives easily after receiving the necessary education all over the world.

Results show significant proportion of females having postpartum blues. Also women who had LSCS and female newborn showed more proportion of depressive features. From the result, it is advisable that screening and intervention should be carried out at the earliest (Pragna Sorani, 2015).

Since parental distress symptomatology and parental caregiving quality after birth can affect infant development (Murray L, Fearon P, etal, 2015) detecting effective ways of intervening in an early stage, thus already during pregnancy is of vital importance for both parent’s as well as children’s health and development.

CONCLUSION:

Emotional freedom technique was quite effective for curtailing the symptoms of post partum blues and parenting stress among post caesarean section mothers.

REFERENCES:

1. O'Hara MW, Wisner KL, Perinatal mental illness: definition, description and aetiology. Best practice. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol. 2014.

2. Sacher J, Wilson AA, Houle S, Rusjan P, Hassan S, Bloomfield PM, Stewart DE, Meyer JH, Elevated brain monoamine oxidase A binding in the early postpartum period. Archives of general psychiatry. 2010.

3. Maria Stella Epifanio, Vitalba Genna, Caterina De Luca, Michele Roccella. Paternal and Maternal Transition to Parenthood: The Risk of Postpartum Depression and Parenting Stress. 2015. Pediatric Reports 7(2):5872

4. Neslihan Ozcan. Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) and Postpartum Depression. CTRI, 2020.

5. Pragna Sorani, Abhijit Khanna, Ankit Moga, Dhaval Prajapati, Kamlesh Patel. Exploratory study to analyze the relationship of postpartum blues in females with mode of delivery and gender of the live birth at Tertiary care Centre. Sch. J. App. Med. Sci., 2015; 3(4C):1794-1797.

6. Murray L, Fearon P, Cooper P. Postnatal depression, mother-infant interactions, and child development - prospects for screening and treatment. In: Milgrom J, Gemmill A, editors. Oxford: Wiley Blackwell; 2015. p. 139–64.

7. Neslihan Ozcan, 2020. Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) and Postpartum Depression. Clinical Trials. gov Identifier. NCT04355091.

Received on 06.10.2022 Modified on 29.10.2022

Int. J. of Advances in Nur. Management. 2023; 11(1):78-80.

DOI: 10.52711/2454-2652.2023.00017