Fear of BirthNCT07000552
Emotional Freedom Technique During Pregnancy
A study testing EFT intervention in people with Fear of Birth and Birth Memory, run by KTO Karatay University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
Trial summary
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), also known as "Tapping Therapy" and "Needleless Acupuncture", is a new and emerging complementary and energy-based therapy. It is a psychophysiological intervention combining cognitive behavioural therapy, exposure therapy and physical stimulation using acupressure points. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 49 years, women onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Fear of Birth, Birth Memory, Postpartum Sense of Security
- What is being tested?
- EFT intervention
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 68 participants
- Where
- 1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
- Study dates
- 15 Jan 2025to 15 Nov 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 49 years
- Women only
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Primary education level or higher
- Able to speak, understand and write Turkish,
- 18 years of age or older,
- Residing in Konya province,
- No disability for vaginal delivery,
- Primigravida,
- Anxiety level of 1 or higher when measured with the subjective discomfort unit scale,
- Pregnant women who are at 32 weeks of gestation or above according to the last menstrual date or according to calculations made with USG data for pregnant women who do not know the last menstrual date.
Who cannot join
- Pregnant individuals with high-risk pregnancies,
- Those who have undergone infertility treatment,
- Those with any fetal health problems,
- Those with physical or mental illnesses,
- Those with a cesarean section indication or who plan to deliver via cesarean section,
- Those with chronic and/or psychiatric health issues and those who have participated in any childbirth preparation education were excluded from the study.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: The Effect of Emotional Freedom Technique Applied to Primigravidas on Fear of Childbirth, Memory of Childbirth and Postpartum Security Sense: A Randomised Controlled Study
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), also known as "Tapping Therapy" and "Needleless Acupuncture", is a new and emerging complementary and energy-based therapy. It is a psychophysiological intervention combining cognitive behavioural therapy, exposure therapy and physical stimulation using acupressure points. This research will be conducted to evaluate the effect of emotional liberation technique applied to primigravidas on fear of childbirth, birth memory and postpartum feelings of safety. The research will be conducted between January 2025 and October 2025 in Konya Necmettin Erbakan University Faculty of Medicine Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Pregnant Outpatient Clinic with primiparous women planning vaginal delivery. This research is planned to be conducted with two groups, EFT intervention and control group. The population of the study consisted of pregnant women who applied to the pregnancy outpatient clinic of a university hospital located in the city centre of Konya province and were evaluated for eligibility.
- Conditions
- Fear of Birth, Birth Memory, Postpartum Sense of Security
- Being tested
- EFT intervention
- Keywords
- emotional freedom technique
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
EFT interventionOther
The intervention groups will be followed up for 4 weeks and 4 EFT therapies will be applied, one session per week.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| EFT intervention | Experimental | The implementation will be carried out in accordance with EFT implementation protocols. In this context, it will be completed with 4 interviews, once a week for pregnant women. i Each EFT session will last 15 minutes. Receives: Other: EFT intervention |
| Control grup | No intervention | There will be no intervention. Women in the intervention groups will be followed up for 4 weeks and will receive standardised care. The final test will be administered in the postnatal period |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
EFT Intervention
Women with a gestational age of 32 and above will be administered the Subjective Experience Unit scale before and after the intervention. The Subjective Experience Unit scale was developed by Hartmann with the "Events Psychology" approach in order to measure the energy flow in the energy body. This scale is used to determine the emotional intensity of the person at the beginning and at the end of the EFT session. In this scale, scoring is made between -10 and +10. -10 is the greatest pain, disappointment, fear, stress, sadness or discomfort imaginable, while +10 is the highest level of joy, happiness or feeling great.
The final tests will be administered in the postnatal period. In the postnatal period, Wijma Birth Anticipation/Experience Scale, Birth Memory and Recall Scale, Postnatal Feelings of Security Scale and Postnatal Interview Form were completed.
Measured: 4 weeks
Control grup
Pregnant women in the control group will be called once a week and asked to score the SUE scale and recorded, and 1 hour later, they will be asked to score the SUE scale again without any intervention. Final tests will be administered in the postnatal period.
Measured: 4 week
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted3 Jun 2025
- Study start15 Jan 2025
- Primary completion15 Oct 2025
- Study completion15 Nov 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Fear of BirthStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 68 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- KTO Karatay University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- EMEL EGE
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Merve Yazar, KTO Karatay University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07000552
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- MerveU
- Status last verified
- Dec 2025
- First submitted
- 24 May 2025
- Last updated
- 17 Dec 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 17 Dec 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Effect of Emotional Freedom Technique Applied to Primigravidas on Fear of Childbirth, Memory of Childbirth and Postpartum Security Sense: A Randomised Controlled Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07000552
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- MerveU
- Conditions
- Fear of Birth, Birth Memory, Postpartum Sense of Security
- Keywords
- emotional freedom technique
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 68 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- KTO Karatay UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- EMEL EGE
- Study start
- 15 Jan 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 15 Oct 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 15 Nov 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 3 Jun 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), also known as "Tapping Therapy" and "Needleless Acupuncture", is a new and emerging complementary and energy-based therapy. It is a psychophysiological intervention combining cognitive behavioural therapy, exposure therapy and physical stimulation using acupressure points. This research will be conducted to evaluate the effect of emotional liberation technique applied to primigravidas on fear of childbirth, birth memory and postpartum feelings of safety. The research will be conducted between January 2025 and October 2025 in Konya Necmettin Erbakan University Faculty of Medicine Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Pregnant Outpatient Clinic with primiparous women planning vaginal delivery. This research is planned to be conducted with two groups, EFT intervention and control group. The population of the study consisted of pregnant women who applied to the pregnancy outpatient clinic of a university hospital located in the city centre of Konya province and were evaluated for eligibility.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| EFT intervention | Experimental | Other: EFT interventionThe implementation will be carried out in accordance with EFT implementation protocols. In this context, it will be completed with 4 interviews, once a week for pregnant women. i Each EFT session will last 15 minutes. |
| Control grup | No intervention | –There will be no intervention. Women in the intervention groups will be followed up for 4 weeks and will receive standardised care. The final test will be administered in the postnatal period |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 49 years
- Sex
- Female only
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (8 listed)
- Primary education level or higher
- Able to speak, understand and write Turkish,
- 18 years of age or older,
- Residing in Konya province,
- No disability for vaginal delivery,
Key exclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Pregnant individuals with high-risk pregnancies,
- Those who have undergone infertility treatment,
- Those with any fetal health problems,
- Those with physical or mental illnesses,
- Those with a cesarean section indication or who plan to deliver via cesarean section,
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| EFT interventionThe intervention groups will be followed up for 4 weeks and 4 EFT therapies will be applied, one session per week. | Other | EFT intervention |
Primary outcome
EFT Intervention
Time frame: 4 weeks
Women with a gestational age of 32 and above will be administered the Subjective Experience Unit scale before and after the intervention. The Subjective Experience Unit scale was developed by Hartmann with the "Events Psychology" approach in order to measure the energy flow in the energy body. This scale is used to determine the emotional intensity of the person at the beginning and at the end of the EFT session. In this scale, scoring is made between -10 and +10. -10 is the greatest pain, disappointment, fear, stress, sadness or discomfort imaginable, while +10 is the highest level of joy, happiness or feeling great. The final tests will be administered in the postnatal period. In the postnatal period, Wijma Birth Anticipation/Experience Scale, Birth Memory and Recall Scale, Postnatal Feelings of Security Scale and Postnatal Interview Form were completed.
Control grup
Time frame: 4 week
Pregnant women in the control group will be called once a week and asked to score the SUE scale and recorded, and 1 hour later, they will be asked to score the SUE scale again without any intervention. Final tests will be administered in the postnatal period.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 17 Dec 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing EFT intervention in people with Fear of Birth and Birth Memory, run by KTO Karatay University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 8 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 17 Dec 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
EFT Intervention (time frame: 4 weeks). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 17 Dec 2025.