Citation (APA Style): Puspitaningrum, I., & Wijayanti, D. Y. (2012). Effectiveness of Spiritual Emotional Freedom Technique (SEFT) intervention in schizophrenia with depression anxiety stress. Presented at Java International Nursing Conference, October 6—7, 2012, Semarang. Retrieved from Diponegro University Institutional Repository: http://eprints.undip.ac.id/40379
Abstract
Background: Patients with mental illness such as schizophrenia are characterized by profound disruption in cognition and emotion, affecting the most fundamental human attributes: language, thought, perception, affect, and sense of self. Negative emotions in schizophrenia (stress, anxiety, depression, anger, guilt, express otherwise, despair, worry, excessive joy, great sadness, crying, and helplessness) should be changed to positive emotions that alter a person’s behavior to become more adaptive. SEFT is an intervention given to changing negative emotions into positive emotions. SEFT is self-development techniques with spiritual strength to overcome a variety of physical problems, emotions, thoughts, attitudes, motivation, and behavior. SEFT consists of three stages: setup, tune-in, and tapping. Setup is to ensure that the body’s energy flow is directed appropriately. The tune-in is done by thinking of certain specific events that may evoke negative emotions. Tune-in with tapping will neutralize negative emotions. SEFT has been effective in reducing the level of stress in patients with chronic disease but research on SEFT has not previously been done with mental patients.
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of SEFT to reduce negative emotion in patients with mental illness. The negative emotion can be measured with the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS).
Method: The types and study designs in this research used pre-experimental study with pretest-posttest one-group design. First, respondents were given a pretest with DASS questionnaire. Second, they were given three SEFT interventions. Lastly, posttest with DASS questionnaire was performed. The population in this study comprised all patients who were treated at the Larasati room of Dr. Amino Gondhohutomo Psychiatric Hospital Semarang. The number of patients in the Larasati room is 17. Total sampling technique with inclusion-exclusion criteria was used and five respondents were recruited. Data were collected by DASS questionnaire and were tested with paired sample t-test.
Results: The results of statistical tests concluded that the variables had a significant result (0.017). It can be concluded that SEFT intervention was effective in reducing depression anxiety stress levels in patients with schizophrenia.
Conclusion: Nurses at the Dr. Amino Gondhohutomo Psychiatric Hospital Semarang can be expected to apply SEFT intervention to reduce stress levels in patients. Further research with a bigger sample size is recommended.
