Affiliations: [a] Saveetha College of Physiotherapy, Saveetha Institute of Medical & Technical Sciences, Chennai, India
| [b] Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, INTI International University Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
Correspondence:
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Address for correspondence: Vignesh Srinivasan, Research Scholar & Assistant Professor, Saveetha College of Physiotherapy, Saveetha Institute of Medical & Technical Sciences, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India. E-mails: vignesh.scpt@saveetha.com, vigneshphysio1989@gmail.com.
Abstract: BACKGROUND:Healthcare workers (HCWs) have been significantly impacted by the pandemic. Elderly health care workers carry out a variety of duties at work and have years of clinical expertise. Anxiety and insomnia are among the more commonly encountered problems in senior physicians and other geriatric medical professional populations. OBJECTIVE:The study aims to determine the effect of vagal nerve stimulation on anxiety and sleep disturbances among geriatric medical professionals. METHODS:42 participants were enrolled in this study based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The participants were divided into two groups using the closed envelope approach, and they took part in therapy sessions lasting 30 minutes, three times per week for a period of four weeks. The Experimental group A received non-invasive transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation (taVNS) and Control group A received Jacobson’s progressive muscle relaxation technique. RESULTS:With a p value of 0.001, taVNS stimulation significantly improved sleep quality and reduced anxiety after 4 weeks. The post-intervention assessment revealed a highly significant improvement in Group A, with a T value of 251 (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION:The findings suggest that taVNS may be an effective intervention for addressing anxiety and sleep issues in geriatric medical professionals. These results contribute to the exploration of non-invasive strategies to enhance the well-being of healthcare professionals working in demanding environments.
Keywords: Generalized Anxiety Disorder, insomnia, elderly, health care workers, post COVID-19 pandemic
DOI: 10.3233/WOR-231362
Journal: Work, vol. 78, no. 4, pp. 1149-1156, 2024
