PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of hand holding on self-esteem and assertiveness in women patients with depression. METHODS: This study was a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. The participants were 40 women patients who were hospitalized with depression. Twenty of the women patients with depression were assigned to the experimental group (hand holding), and twenty to the control group. For the experimental treatment group hand holding was done for 2 wks. RESULTS: The experimental group with hand holding showed an increase in self-esteem (t=3.99, p<.001), and assertiveness (t=5.37, p<.001) compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: Hand holding is effective for increasing self-esteem and assertiveness in women patients with depression. The simple contact of hand holding can also be regarded as an effective and accessible nursing intervention in the neuropsychiatry ward.
Assertiveness* ; Depression* ; Female ; Hand* ; Humans ; Neuropsychiatry ; Nursing ; Therapeutic Touch

OBJECTIVEMore than one-third of college students reported the desire for stress reduction techniques and education. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a 20-week structured self-Reiki program on stress reduction and relaxation in college students.

METHODSStudents were recruited from Stockton University and sessions were conducted in the privacy of their residence. Twenty students completed the entire study consisting of 20 weeks of self-Reiki done twice weekly. Each participant completed a Reiki Baseline Credibility Scale, a Reiki Expectancy Scale, and a Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) after acceptance into the study. The PSS was completed every four weeks once the interventions were initiated. A global assessment questionnaire was completed at the end of the study. Logs summarizing the outcome of each session were submitted at the end of the study.

RESULTSWith the exception of three participants, participants believed that Reiki is a credible technique for reducing stress levels. Except for two participants, participants agreed that Reiki would be effective in reducing stress levels. All participants experienced stress within the month prior to completing the initial PSS. There was a significant reduction in stress levels from pre-study to post-study. There was a correlation between self-rating of improvement and final PSS scores. With one exception, stress levels at 20 weeks did not return to pre-study stress levels.

CONCLUSIONThis study supports the hypothesis that the calming effect of Reiki may be achieved through the use of self-Reiki.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Relaxation Therapy ; Stress, Psychological ; therapy ; Therapeutic Touch

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of Yakson therapy as a pain management tool on the physiologic and behavioral reponses of infants with a painful heelstick procedure. METHOD: Infants were randomly assigned to a group that underwent a series of Yakson therapy and a control that received nothingbefore a heelstick. Heart rate, oxygen saturation, and NIPS were compared between the experimental (n=16) and control (n=16) infants during an undisturbed baseline and after a standard heelstick procedure. Yakson therapy consisted of laying a hand on the back, and caressing the abdomen by hand for 5 minutes. RESULT: The pain scores of the Yakson group were lower than the control group. Foroxygen saturation, there were statistically significant differences between groups. For heart rate, there were no statistically significant differences between groups. CONCLUSION: This data suggests that Yakson therapy had a pain relief effect in behavior responses and SaO2. Accordingly, Yakson therapy should be used as a nursing intervention for simple pain management for a heel prick.
Blood Specimen Collection ; Female ; Heart Rate ; Heel ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; *Neonatal Nursing ; Oximetry ; Pain/nursing/*therapy ; Pain Measurement ; Punctures/adverse effects ; Therapeutic Touch/*methods/nursing

PURPOSE: This study is aimed to confirm the effects of Yakson therapy on the growth and physical response of preterm infants, and maternal attachment to them compared with GHT therapy. METHOD: The design of this study is nonequivalent control group with repeated measuring by quasi experimental study. The subjects are preterm infants in 26 - 34 gestational age hospitalized in the NICU of 4 university hospitals with an experimental group of 15 and a control group of 14. Yakson therapy consists of three phases: laying a hand, caressing by hand, and laying a hand again taking 5 minutes for each phase. RESULT: As a result of administering Yakson therapy to preterm infants; the average weight gain of the Yakson group was higher than that of the GHT group, but there is no significant difference between groups. The oxygen saturation and maternal attachment difference between the Yakson and the GHT group were not significant. Significant differences in the average daily increase of oral intake and apical pulse rate were observed between the Yakson group and GHT group. CONCLUSION: These data suggested that Yakson therapy may be an effective nursing intervention which can facilitate growth and physical response of preterm infants.
Child Development ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature/*growth & development/physiology ; Intensive Care, Neonatal/*methods ; Male ; Mother-Child Relations ; Neonatal Nursing/*methods ; Pregnancy ; Therapeutic Touch/*methods