Auriculoterapia no Combate ao Estresse em Professores Universitários: Estudo Piloto

Abstract

Introduction: The career of a professor can be stressful as well as challenging. It can lead to dissatisfaction due to the high level of mental and emotional demand, causing the decline of the individual both physically and mentally. Among the Integrative and Complementary Practices, Auriculotherapy is one of the techniques that can lessen stress levels and ease emotional and mental disorder from different natures. Objectives: (1) Identify and assess stress levels among nursing professor before and after auriculotherapy with seeds; (2) evaluate the applicability of the protocol, the number of sessions and the stimulant material. Method: A pilot study was conducted for a future randomized controlled trial with a sample of nineteen nursing professors of northern Brazil. Thirteen of them agreed to participate in the study and were evaluated as a control group (waiting list) for four weeks, although only eleven completed the eight sessions treatment with black mustard seeds, twice a week. Data collection took place in 2016 and three sampling instruments were applied to the participants: Socio-Demographic Data, Stress Symptoms List - SSL - and patient’s report of each session. Socio-demographic variables were analyzed and a characterization of the participants’ profile was mapped as well as the main variables and stress levels. Results: The results show that women experience higher stress levels than men; substitute professors score higher levels of stress when compared to regular ones. Those who live in rented homes tend to be more stressed than those who live in their own home; as well as those who do not practice exercises. The LSS symptoms that suffered significant statistical reduction, in the auricular group, according to the analysis of variance (ANOVA), for repeated measures, were: "At the end of a work day, I'm worn out (a)," (33% reduction/p=0,047); ―overeating‖ (14% reduction / p = 0.020); ―I feel work overload‖ (35% reduction / p = 0.059); ―I forget things‖ (20% reduction / p = 0.020);‖ I feel that my job performance is limited‖ (41% reduction / p = 0.030) and ―there are days that suddenly I have diarrhea‖ (50% reduction / p = 0.035). However, there was a 23% reduction for the Auriculotherapy group after the treatment. This result suggests that the auriculotherapy protocol and the number of sessions were adequate. The main limitation was the sample size (few participants) and lack of a precise location method for auricular points. Conclusion: There was no statistical difference in the intergroup analysis and the treatment was effective in only one of the symptoms. Further studies should be conducted with the same protocol and significant sample size in order to confirm the findings.