None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
This research is being conducted to investigate the impact of 3 different interventions on the stress hormone cortisol. Dr Stapleton is leading the study in her role within the Faculty Society and Design, Bond University. What you will be asked to do If you have responded to a call for participants and meet the inclusion criteria, you will be randomly allocated to one of three conditions designed to impact stress levels. Firstly, you will be sent an online link for the pre-questionnaire survey. You will then attend Bond University at a set time on a set day for a 1-hour stress intervention. You will be asked to attend 30 minutes prior to your session for the salivary cortisol testing to be done. You will then immediately attend your 1-hour intervention, and 30 minutes after it concludes, you will be asked to provide a salivary cortisol sample again and complete your post questionnaire (same as pre-questionnaire). You will be expected to attend Bond University for a total of 2 hours maximum. What are the 3 interventions being offered? 1. Emotional Freedom Techniques is a type of exposure therapy which includes a somatic and cognitive component. Likened to a version of psychological acupuncture but without the use of fine needles, EFT uses a statement you say out loud while you tap on acupressure points on the face and upper body. The session will teach how to use EFT for stress reduction. 2. Another condition will be a psychotherapy group who will receive information about how to reduce stress. 3. The third group will be asked to enjoy reading as a way of reducing stress for the hour. Participants will be randomly allocated to these different 1-hour treatment conditions. There will be no choice in this aspect. What will happen to my test sample? Saliva samples will be used immediately or stored for future analysis. All data processing will occur by use of a unique code number and not your name. You can withdraw from the study at any time and your sample and personal information will be destroyed. Data collected will remain in a coded format. How participants will be selected or screened Participants will be called for through community advertising, and will have to be over 18 years (for consent issues), You CANNOT participate if: You are taking any of these medications: • Antidepressants (e.g. for depression) • Steroids (e.g. for asthma) • Hormonal medication (eg for Menopause) • Thyroid medication • Diabetes medication (including insulin) • Contraceptives (e.g Pill) You cannot participate if you are pregnant, undergoing menopause currently or have Cushing’s disease, a history of major depressive disorder, PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), or chronic diseases characterized by abnormal cortisol levels (e.g. osteoporosis, hypertension or high blood pressure, diabetes). The expected benefits of the research The benefits of this study will include determining the most effective brief treatment for stress.. When this is established it will form an invaluable component of future stress programs where time is limited.
Interventions
Emotional Freedom Techniques (Craig, 2011) is a type of exposure therapy which includes a somatic and cognitive component for altering the cognitive, behavioural, and neurochemical foundations of psychological problems. Likened to a version of psychological acupuncture but without the use of fine needles, EFT combines components of traditional approaches (including cognitive and exposure therapy) with acupoint stimulation. A tapping technique (with two fingers)is used to stimulate 8 pressure po
Emotional Freedom Techniques (Craig, 2011) is a type of exposure therapy which includes a somatic and cognitive component for altering the cognitive, behavioural, and neurochemical foundations of psychological problems. Likened to a version of psychological acupuncture but without the use of fine needles, EFT combines components of traditional approaches (including cognitive and exposure therapy) with acupoint stimulation. A tapping technique (with two fingers)is used to stimulate 8 pressure points on the face and upper body, with a cognitive element that involves the individual stating his/her concern aloud as he/she performs the tapping. The 8 points are exactly the same for every person in the trial and done in the same order as per the original recipe (Craig, 2011). They are standardised. In the EFT and psychotherapy group, a powerpoint will be used to illustrate the information being discussed (e.g. image on the tapping points). Both groups will be lead by registered clinical psychologists, and the psychologist in the EFT group is a certified practitioner in the technique. The mode of delivery will be groups of 10 adults for both conditions, and in person face to face. The interventions will be delivered once only for 60 minutes and will be held on campus at the University on a designated day. The psychotherapy group will have the powerpoint for the full 60 minutes of the intervention and be taught information in lecture style, relating to the stress response and how stress affects the body. There will be no further information provided beyond this. In the EFT group the participants will be taught the technique for stress reduction and they will apply it in session.
Sponsors
Bond University
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Investigator)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 80 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Between ages 18- 80 years; both genders
Exclusion criteria
Participants cannot be taking any of these medications to participate in the aspect of cortisol testing (due to potential effects): • Antidepressants • Steroids • Hormonal medication (eg for Menopause) • Thyroid medication • Diabetes medication (including insulin) • Contraceptives (e.g Pill) • Be pregnant, undergoing menopause currently or have Cushing’s disease As per the original study, Subjects will also be excluded if they describe a history of major depressive disorder, PTSD, or chronic diseases characterized by abnormal cortisol levels. Furthermore, subjects will also be excluded from the final analysis if the therapist conducting the session reports the recall of an emotionally significant trauma during the last 20 minutes of the session. The theoretical basis for this criterion (and included in the original study) is the likelihood that cortisol will rise during and immediately after such recall.
Outcome results
None listed