Light acupuncture and five-element music therapy for nurses’ mental health and well-being during and post-COVID-19: Protocol for a randomised cross-over feasibility study
Publication Details
Wang, C. C.,
Lo, J.,
Saunders, R.,
Adma, E.,
Bulsara, C. E.,
Etherton-Beer, C.,
&
Yang, A. W.
(2022).
Light acupuncture and five-element music therapy for nurses’ mental health and well-being during and post-COVID-19: Protocol for a randomised cross-over feasibility study.
BMJ Open, 12.
Abstract
Introduction: Australian nurses have experienced higher levels of anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the prepandemic. This may have affected their longterm mental health and intention to stay in the profession resulting in a workforce shortage, which further impacts the health of the public. Management is urgently required to improve nurses’ well-being. However, there is limited evidence available. The proposed clinical trial aims to evaluate the feasibility and therapeutic effects of using a combination of light acupuncture and five-element music therapy to improve nurses’ mental health and well-being during and post-COVID-19.
Methods and analysis: This randomised, single blinding, two-arm cross-over feasibility study involves a 1-week run-in period, 2-week intervention and 1-week run-in period in between interventions. Thirty-six eligible nurses will be recruited from the community and randomised into either a combination of light acupuncture treatment and five-element music therapy group or no treatment group for 2weeks. After a 1-week run in period, they will be swapped to the different group. The primary outcome of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of a combination of light acupuncture treatment and five-element music therapy to improve nurses’ mental health and wellbeing. The secondary outcomes will include anxiety and depression, work productivity and activity, and quality of life assessments. Participants will be asked to complete a set of online questionnaires throughout the trial period. All analyses will be performed in R Studio V.1.1.463.
Ethics and dissemination: Ethical approval was attained from Edith Cowan University’s Human Research Ethics Committee (No. 2021–02728-WANG). Research findings will be shared with hospitals and in various forms to engage broader audiences, including national and international conferences, presentations, open-access peer-reviewed journal publications, and local community workshop dissemination with healthcare professionals.
Trial registration number: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12621000957897p https:// www.anzctr.org.au/ACTRN12621000957897p.aspx
Keywords
acupuncture, music therapy, nurses, feasibility study, mental health
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