Death Anxiety, Occupational Stress, Psychological Distress
Conditions
Keywords
Expressive Arts Therapy, Death Anxiety, Intensive Care Unit Nurses, ICU Nurses, Randomized Controlled Trial, Psychological Intervention, Mental Health, Occupational Stress
Brief summary
This randomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate the effect of expressive arts therapy on death anxiety among intensive care unit nurses. A total of 66 nurses were randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group participated in a structured expressive arts therapy programme consisting of weekly sessions for six weeks, while the control group received no intervention during the study period. Death anxiety levels were assessed using the Death Anxiety Scale before and after the intervention. The study aimed to determine whether expressive arts therapy is effective in reducing death anxiety and improving psychological well-being among intensive care unit nurses.
Detailed description
This randomized controlled study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured expressive arts therapy program in reducing death anxiety among intensive care unit nurses. Participants were randomly assigned to either an expressive arts therapy intervention group or a control group. The intervention consisted of six weekly sessions incorporating creative techniques such as drawing, clay work, and collage to facilitate emotional expression and reflection on experiences related to death and patient care. Death anxiety levels were assessed at baseline and immediately after the intervention using the Death Anxiety Scale. The study aimed to determine whether expressive arts therapy could reduce death anxiety and improve psychological well-being among intensive care nurses exposed to frequent patient mortality.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALExpressive Arts Therapy
Expressive arts therapy was delivered as a structured group intervention consisting of six weekly sessions including drawing, clay work, and collage.
Sponsors
Ondokuz Mayıs University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Intervention model description
This study was conducted as a single-blind, parallel-group randomized controlled trial. Participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either the expressive arts therapy intervention group or the control group. The intervention group participated in a structured expressive arts therapy programme consisting of weekly sessions over six weeks, while the control group received no intervention during the study period. Outcome assessments were conducted at baseline and immediately after completion of the intervention. The outcome assessor was blinded to group allocation. The study aimed to compare the effectiveness of expressive arts therapy versus no intervention in reducing death anxiety among intensive care unit nurses.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Registered nurses working in intensive care units At least 1 year of experience in an intensive care setting Having previously encountered patient death in clinical practice Willingness to participate in the study Providing written informed
Exclusion criteria
Currently receiving psychological or psychiatric treatment for severe mental health problems Participation in similar psychological or psychosocial intervention programs during the study period
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Death Anxiety Scale Total Score | Baseline and Week 6 (post-intervention) | Death anxiety was assessed using the Death Anxiety Scale (DAS; Sarıkaya \& Baloğlu, 2016), a validated self-report instrument consisting of 20 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1-5). Total scores range from 20 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater levels of death anxiety. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in "Uncertainty About Death" Subscale Score | Baseline and Week 6 (post-intervention) | The Uncertainty About Death subscale of the Death Anxiety Scale evaluates ambiguity and fear related to the unknown aspects of death. Subscale scores are derived from relevant items within the DAS, with higher scores indicating greater uncertainty and anxiety regarding death. |
| Change in "Thoughts About Death and Witnessing Death" Subscale Score | Baseline and Week 6 (post-intervention) | This subscale measures cognitive and emotional responses related to thinking about death and exposure to dying individuals. Higher scores indicate more frequent and distressing death-related thoughts and experiences. |
Countries
Turkey (Türkiye)
Outcome results
None listed