Effect of Expressive Arts Therapy on Death Anxiety in Intensive Care Unit Nurses

NCT07462936 | Completed

• 2 other identifiers: OMU-BAP04-A-2024-5002-RCTBAP04-A-2024-5002
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 66
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This randomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate the effect of expressive arts therapy on death anxiety among intensive care unit nurses. A total of 66 nurses were randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group participated in a structured expressive arts therapy programme consisting of weekly sessions for six weeks, while the control group received no intervention during the study period. Death anxiety levels were assessed using the Death Anxiety Scale before and after the intervention. The study aimed to determine whether expressive arts therapy is effective in reducing death anxiety and improving psychological well-being among intensive care unit nurses.

Conditions

Death Anxiety; Occupational Stress; Psychological Distress

Keywords

Expressive Arts Therapy; Death Anxiety; Intensive Care Unit Nurses; ICU Nurses; Randomized Controlled Trial; Psychological Intervention; Mental Health; Occupational Stress

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in Death Anxiety Scale Total Score

  Death anxiety was assessed using the Death Anxiety Scale (DAS; Sarıkaya \& Baloğlu, 2016), a validated self-report instrument consisting of 20 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1-5). Total scores range from 20 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater levels of death anxiety.

  Baseline and Week 6 (post-intervention)

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Change in "Uncertainty About Death" Subscale Score

  Baseline and Week 6 (post-intervention)

• Change in "Thoughts About Death and Witnessing Death" Subscale Score

  Baseline and Week 6 (post-intervention)

Study Arms (2)

Expressive Arts Therapy Group

EXPERIMENTAL

This group participated in a structured expressive arts therapy programme consisting of weekly sessions for six weeks. Each session included creative activities such as drawing, clay work, and collage to facilitate emotional expression and processing of death-related experiences.

Behavioral: Expressive Arts Therapy

Control Group

NO INTERVENTION

No Intervention

Interventions

Expressive Arts Therapy BEHAVIORAL

Expressive arts therapy was delivered as a structured group intervention consisting of six weekly sessions including drawing, clay work, and collage.

Expressive Arts Therapy Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Registered nurses working in intensive care units At least 1 year of experience in an intensive care setting Having previously encountered patient death in clinical practice Willingness to participate in the study

You may not qualify if:

• Currently receiving psychological or psychiatric treatment for severe mental health problems Participation in similar psychological or psychosocial intervention programs during the study period

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Ondokuz Mayıs University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Samsun Training and Research Hospital

Atakent, Samsun, 55200, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Necrophobia; Occupational Stress; Psychological Well-Being

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Occupational Diseases; Stress, Psychological; Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior; Personal Satisfaction

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Model Details: This study was conducted as a single-blind, parallel-group randomized controlled trial. Participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either the expressive arts therapy intervention group or the control group. The intervention group participated in a structured expressive arts therapy programme consisting of weekly sessions over six weeks, while the control group received no intervention during the study period. Outcome assessments were conducted at baseline and immediately after completion of the intervention. The outcome assessor was blinded to group allocation. The study aimed to compare the effectiveness of expressive arts therapy versus no intervention in reducing death anxiety among intensive care unit nurses.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 28, 2026
• First Posted: March 10, 2026
• Study Start: March 1, 2024
• Primary Completion: July 1, 2024
• Study Completion: January 13, 2026
• Last Updated: March 30, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-03

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)