The effect of emotional freedom techniques on test anxiety in Iranian Paramedical students: a randomized controlled trial study

Abstract

Background: Based on evidences, there has been no study conducted on the effects of emotional freedom techniques on Iranian medical students. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the impact of emotional freedom techniques on examination anxiety in Iranian nursing and allied students. Methods: This randomized controlled clinical trial study was conducted in 2021. The sample included students from the School of Nursing and Midwifery and the School of Paramedical Sciences enroled from the second to eighth semesters. Based on inclusion criteria, 30 students were assigned to each group. The test anxiety questionnaire was utilized to assess the test anxiety of students. The educational sessions in the intervention group were structured according to the Church’s educational package and were delivered in six non-face-to-face (online) sessions, each lasting 45 min, once a week. In the control group, no intervention was implemented. All statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics software version 24 (IBM SPSS Statistics). Results: The mean age of students in the intervention and control groups were 25.22±1.85 and 22.80±1.80 years, respectively. After the intervention, the mean examination anxiety in the experimental group (50.88) significantly decreased to within the moderate range (25–75), compared to the mean examination anxiety in the control group (65.36) within the same range (P<0.001). Furthermore, the ANCOVA analysis indicated that the group and examination anxiety before the intervention were statistically significant. Conclusion: This positive impact on test anxiety is particularly promising for medical sciences students, who often endure heightened stress levels due to the rigorous nature of their studies and the demands of their profession.