Emotional Freedom TechniqueNCT07477665
Effect of Emotional Freedom Techniques on Fatigue, Hopelessness, and Perceived Stigma in Women With Unsuccessful IVF Experience
A study testing Emotional Freedom Technique in people with Emotional Freedom Technique, run by Ataturk University.
Trial summary
In this study, it is planned to provide nursing care to women with an experience of unsuccessful IVF treatment by combining Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) with the principles developed in line with the philosophy of Levine's Conservation Model. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 45 years, women onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Emotional Freedom Technique
- What is being tested?
- Emotional Freedom Technique
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 80 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- Feb 2026to Dec 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 45 years
- Women only
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Women aged between 18 and 45 years,
- Having experienced at least one unsuccessful IVF treatment,
- Able to read and write in Turkish,
- Having no hearing or visual impairment,
- Having no diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder,
- Not using any complementary and alternative therapy methods (such as Reiki, hypnofertility, or acupressure),
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- Scoring 4 or higher on the Beck Hopelessness Scale,
- Residing in the province of Erzurum,
- Willing to participate in the study voluntarily.
Who cannot join
- Receiving any assisted reproductive treatment during the study period,
- Developing a healthy pregnancy after enrollment in the study,
- Being diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder after the start of the study,
- Initiating the use of any complementary and alternative therapy methods during the study period,
- Women who request to withdraw from the study will be excluded from the sample.
About this study
Official title: The Effect of Emotional Freedom Techniques Based on Levine's Conservation Model on Fatigue, Hopelessness, and Perceived Stigma in Women With Unsuccessful IVF Experience: A Randomized Controlled Trial
In this study, it is planned to provide nursing care to women with an experience of unsuccessful IVF treatment by combining Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) with the principles developed in line with the philosophy of Levine's Conservation Model. Women with an experience of unsuccessful IVF treatment will be evaluated according to the three conservation principles, and these principles will form the basis of the setup statements used in the EFT sessions. When evaluated within the scope of the model, infertility disrupts the individual's energy conservation, leading to increased fatigue; impairs personal integrity, causing feelings of hopelessness; and threatens social integrity, resulting in feelings of stigma and isolation. In line with the integrity principles emphasized in Levine's model, it is considered that EFT may reduce fatigue by regulating the disrupted energy balance, alleviate levels of hopelessness by supporting personal integrity, and reduce the effects of infertility-related stigma by strengthening social integrity.
In this context, this study will be conducted to examine the effects of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), structured in accordance with Levine's Conservation Model, on levels of fatigue, hopelessness, and perceived stigma in women with an experience of unsuccessful IVF treatment. This study will be conducted with 80 women who have experienced unsuccessful IVF treatment and meet the inclusion criteria of the study, including 40 women in the experimental group and 40 women in the control group, at Atatürk University Research Hospital In Vitro Fertilization Center. In the study, pre-test data of women in the experimental and control groups assigned through randomization will be collected using the Participant Information Form, the Visual Analog Scale for Fatigue, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, and the Infertility Stigma Scale. EFT structured in line with Levine's Conservation Model will be applied to the women in the experimental group, while no intervention will be applied to the control group. Post-test data will be collected from women in both the experimental and control groups after the completion of the 4-week EFT sessions. In order to test the effectiveness of EFT over time, repeated measurements will be conducted one month after the last application for each participant, and women in the experimental and control groups will complete the Visual Analog Scale for Fatigue, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, and the Infertility Stigma Scale again. The data of the experimental and control groups, coded as X and Y, will be transferred to a computer environment by an independent statistician, and the data will be analyzed and the findings will be reported.
- Conditions
- Emotional Freedom Technique
- Being tested
- Emotional Freedom Technique
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Emotional Freedom TechniqueBehavioural
Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) is a behavioral mind-body intervention that combines cognitive and somatic components. In this study, EFT will be structured in line with Levine's Conservation Model and tailored according to the three conservation principles (energy, personal integrity, and social integrity). The intervention will be delivered by a trained nurse through standardized EFT sessions conducted over a 4-week period. Each session will include setup statements developed based on the participant's experiences related to unsuccessful IVF treatment and the corresponding conservation principles.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental Group | Experimental | Participants in the experimental group will receive Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) structured in line with Levine's Conservation Model. The intervention will be delivered over a 4-week period through EFT sessions developed according to the three conservation principles of the model. Receives: Behavioral: Emotional Freedom Technique |
| Control | No intervention | Participants in the control group will not receive any intervention during the study period. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Visual Analog Scale for Fatigue
The scale consists of 18 items. Items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 11 through 18 constitute the fatigue subscale, while items 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 constitute the energy subscale. The scale is presented in the form of a 10-cm visual ruler, with the most positive expression at one end and the most negative expression at the other. For the fatigue subscale, the most positive expression is scored as 0 and the most negative expression as 10, whereas for the energy subscale, the most negative expression is scored as 0 and the most positive expression as 10. Items in the fatigue subscale are ordered from the most positive to the most negative, while items in the energy subscale are ordered from the most negative to the most positive. A higher score on the fatigue subscale and a lower score on the energy subscale indicate greater severity of fatigue.
Measured: This form will be administered at baseline. The experimental group will receive EFT for 4 weeks. The form will be re-administered as a post-test after the intervention and as a follow-up test one month later.
Beck Hopelessness Scale
The scale consists of three subscales: Loss of Motivation, comprising 8 items (2, 4, 9, 12, 14, 16, 17, and 20); Feelings and Expectations About the Future, comprising 5 items (1, 3, 7, 11, and 18); and Hope, comprising 7 items (5, 6, 8, 10, 13, 15, and 19). The total score obtainable from the scale ranges from 0 to 20. Scoring is based on binary responses, with a score of 1 assigned for a "No" response on items 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, and 19, and for a "Yes" response on items 2, 4, 7, 9, 11, 14, 16, 17, 18, and 20. The total score constitutes the participant's hopelessness score, with higher scores indicating greater levels of hopelessness. Scores of 0-3 indicate no hopelessness, 4-8 indicate low hopelessness, 9-14 indicate moderate hopelessness, and 15-20 indicate high levels of hopelessness.
Measured: This form will be administered at baseline. The experimental group will receive EFT for 4 weeks. The form will be re-administered as a post-test after the intervention and as a follow-up test one month later.
Infertility Stigma Scale
The Infertility Stigma Scale consists of 27 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale. It includes four subscales: self-devaluation (7 items), social withdrawal (5 items), public stigma (9 items), and family stigma (6 items). Total scores range from 27 to 135, with higher scores indicating greater perceived stigma.
Measured: This form will be administered at baseline. The experimental group will receive EFT for 4 weeks. The form will be re-administered as a post-test after the intervention and as a follow-up test one month later.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted17 Mar 2026
- Study startFeb 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completionJun 2026 (estimated)
- Study completionDec 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Emotional Freedom TechniqueStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Ataturk UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- 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
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 80 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Ataturk University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Aslı SİS ÇELİK, Ataturk University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07477665
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- B.30.2.ATA.0.01.00/802
- Status last verified
- Mar 2026
- First submitted
- 13 Mar 2026
- Last updated
- 18 Mar 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- 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 18 Mar 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Effect of Emotional Freedom Techniques Based on Levine's Conservation Model on Fatigue, Hopelessness, and Perceived Stigma in Women With Unsuccessful IVF Experience: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07477665
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- B.30.2.ATA.0.01.00/802
- Conditions
- Emotional Freedom Technique
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 80 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Ataturk UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- Feb 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- Jun 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Dec 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 17 Mar 2026 (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.
In this study, it is planned to provide nursing care to women with an experience of unsuccessful IVF treatment by combining Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) with the principles developed in line with the philosophy of Levine's Conservation Model. Women with an experience of unsuccessful IVF treatment will be evaluated according to the three conservation principles, and these principles will form the basis of the setup statements used in the EFT sessions. When evaluated within the scope of the model, infertility disrupts the individual's energy conservation, leading to increased fatigue; impairs personal integrity, causing feelings of hopelessness; and threatens social integrity, resulting in feelings of stigma and isolation. In line with the integrity principles emphasized in Levine's model, it is considered that EFT may reduce fatigue by regulating the disrupted energy balance, alleviate levels of hopelessness by supporting personal integrity, and reduce the effects of infertility-related stigma by strengthening social integrity.
In this context, this study will be conducted to examine the effects of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), structured in accordance with Levine's Conservation Model, on levels of fatigue, hopelessness, and perceived stigma in women with an experience of unsuccessful IVF treatment. This study will be conducted with 80 women who have experienced unsuccessful IVF treatment and meet the inclusion criteria of the study, including 40 women in the experimental group and 40 women in the control group, at Atatürk University Research Hospital In Vitro Fertilization Center. In the study, pre-test data of women in the experimental and control groups assigned through randomization will be collected using the Participant Information Form, the Visual Analog Scale for Fatigue, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, and the Infertility Stigma Scale. EFT structured in line with Levine's Conservation Model will be applied to the women in the experimental group, while no intervention will be applied to the control group. Post-test data will be collected from women in both the experimental and control groups after the completion of the 4-week EFT sessions. In order to test the effectiveness of EFT over time, repeated measurements will be conducted one month after the last application for each participant, and women in the experimental and control groups will complete the Visual Analog Scale for Fatigue, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, and the Infertility Stigma Scale again. The data of the experimental and control groups, coded as X and Y, will be transferred to a computer environment by an independent statistician, and the data will be analyzed and the findings will be reported.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental Group | Experimental | Behavioral: Emotional Freedom TechniqueParticipants in the experimental group will receive Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) structured in line with Levine's Conservation Model. The intervention will be delivered over a 4-week period through EFT sessions developed according to the three conservation principles of the model. |
| Control | No intervention | –Participants in the control group will not receive any intervention during the study period. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 45 years
- Sex
- Female only
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (9 listed)
- Women aged between 18 and 45 years,
- Having experienced at least one unsuccessful IVF treatment,
- Able to read and write in Turkish,
- Having no hearing or visual impairment,
- Having no diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder,
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Receiving any assisted reproductive treatment during the study period,
- Developing a healthy pregnancy after enrollment in the study,
- Being diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder after the start of the study,
- Initiating the use of any complementary and alternative therapy methods during the study period,
- Women who request to withdraw from the study will be excluded from the sample.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Emotional Freedom TechniqueEmotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) is a behavioral mind-body intervention that combines cognitive and somatic components. In this study, EFT will be structured in line with Levine's Conservation Model and tailored according to the three conservation principles (energy, personal integrity, and social integrity). The intervention will be delivered by a trained nurse through standardized EFT sessions conducted over a 4-week period. Each session will include setup statements developed based on the participant's experiences related to unsuccessful IVF treatment and the corresponding conservation principles. | Behavioural | Experimental Group |
Primary outcome
Visual Analog Scale for Fatigue
Time frame: This form will be administered at baseline. The experimental group will receive EFT for 4 weeks. The form will be re-administered as a post-test after the intervention and as a follow-up test one month later.
The scale consists of 18 items. Items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 11 through 18 constitute the fatigue subscale, while items 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 constitute the energy subscale. The scale is presented in the form of a 10-cm visual ruler, with the most positive expression at one end and the most negative expression at the other. For the fatigue subscale, the most positive expression is scored as 0 and the most negative expression as 10, whereas for the energy subscale, the most negative expression is scored as 0 and the most positive expression as 10. Items in the fatigue subscale are ordered from the most positive to the most negative, while items in the energy subscale are ordered from the most negative to the most positive. A higher score on the fatigue subscale and a lower score on the energy subscale indicate greater severity of fatigue.
Beck Hopelessness Scale
Time frame: This form will be administered at baseline. The experimental group will receive EFT for 4 weeks. The form will be re-administered as a post-test after the intervention and as a follow-up test one month later.
The scale consists of three subscales: Loss of Motivation, comprising 8 items (2, 4, 9, 12, 14, 16, 17, and 20); Feelings and Expectations About the Future, comprising 5 items (1, 3, 7, 11, and 18); and Hope, comprising 7 items (5, 6, 8, 10, 13, 15, and 19). The total score obtainable from the scale ranges from 0 to 20. Scoring is based on binary responses, with a score of 1 assigned for a "No" response on items 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, and 19, and for a "Yes" response on items 2, 4, 7, 9, 11, 14, 16, 17, 18, and 20. The total score constitutes the participant's hopelessness score, with higher scores indicating greater levels of hopelessness. Scores of 0-3 indicate no hopelessness, 4-8 indicate low hopelessness, 9-14 indicate moderate hopelessness, and 15-20 indicate high levels of hopelessness.
Infertility Stigma Scale
Time frame: This form will be administered at baseline. The experimental group will receive EFT for 4 weeks. The form will be re-administered as a post-test after the intervention and as a follow-up test one month later.
The Infertility Stigma Scale consists of 27 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale. It includes four subscales: self-devaluation (7 items), social withdrawal (5 items), public stigma (9 items), and family stigma (6 items). Total scores range from 27 to 135, with higher scores indicating greater perceived stigma.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 18 Mar 2026.
- 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.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Emotional Freedom Technique in people with Emotional Freedom Technique, run by Ataturk University.
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 9 inclusion and 5 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: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 18 Mar 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
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?
Visual Analog Scale for Fatigue (time frame: This form will be administered at baseline. The experimental group will receive EFT for 4 weeks. The form will be re-administered as a post-test after the intervention and as a follow-up test one month later.). The study lists 3 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 18 Mar 2026.