Paper
Sunday, November 4, 2007
151
The Effects of Guided Imagery on Negative Emotional States
João Luís Apóstolo, RN, MS1, Aida Cruz Mendes, PhD, RN1, and Maria Teresa Antunes, PhD2. (1) Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing Domain, Coimbra Nursing School, Coimbra, Portugal, (2) Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing Domain, Nursing School Dr. Ângelo da Fonseca, Coimbra, Portugal
| Learning Objective #1: The learner will be able to understand guided imagery as a tool for autonomous nursing intervention in psychiatric settings |
| Learning Objective #2: The learner will be able to understand the effects of guided imagery for decreasing depression anxiety and stress. |
STUDY OBJECTIVE: To measure the effectiveness of guided imagery for decreasing depression anxiety and stress.
BACKGROUND: Research shown that certain types of mental and behavioural disorders, such as anxiety depression can occur as the result of failing to cope adaptively to a stressful life event. Major depression is the leading cause of disability (WHO, 2001).
Some studies have shown that pleasant guided imagery can decrease depression anxiety and stress levels, but no studies have been done with psychiatric inpatients.
METHODS: Quasi-Experimental design. Setting: 3 hospitals from the Centre of Portugal. Sample: 60 short-term hospitalized depressive patients selected by consecutive sampling (experimental group: 30, control group: 30). Age mean 40,38, ranged 19-53 years; 66,67% female and 33,33% male. The experimental group was to listen to a guided imagery CD once a day from 10 days. The depression anxiety stress scale (DASS-21) was self-administered at two time points: prior to the introduction of intervention (T1) and 10 days later, at the end of the intervention (T2). DASS was assessed in the control group by the same method, but without guided imagery intervention. In T1, groups were equivalent in relation to socio demographic and clinical variables as to in measured depression anxiety and stress.
DASS-21 is a reliable tool. Both, in T1 and T2 alphas sub-scales and total scale ranged from 0,73 to 0,95. Previous studies indicated construct and criterion validity of DASS-21. Variables: Guided imagery program; depression, anxiety and stress.
FINDINGS: Repeated measures revealed that the treatment group had significantly lesser depression (F = 6,60; p = 0,01), anxiety (F = 8,48; p = 0,01), stress (F = 11,58; p = 0,00) and total DASS-21 (F = 11,76; p= 0,00)
CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS: Guided imagery as an autonomous nursing intervention is an effective for decrease depression anxiety and stress.