Effects of auriculotherapy on quality of life and anxiety and depression levels in speech-language-hearing students

Abstract

Objective: To verify the effects of auriculotherapy on academic performance, anxiety levels, and quality of life of speech-language-hearing students at a Public University in Southern Brazil. Methods: This quantitative, prospective, cross-sectional field study had a convenience sample. This research is characterized as field, quantitative, prospective and cross-sectional, carried out by convenience sampling. Twenty-three students participated in the study and were divided into two groups, control and study. Results: The control group was not significantly different from before to after the intervention. The study group was significantly different in the physical domain and depression from before to after auriculotherapy. The comparison between groups after the intervention showed improvements in the physical, psychological, and environmental domains. Significant correlations were found between quality-of-life variables after the intervention, namely: between the psychological and physical domains, between depression and the social relations domain, and between depression and the environment. Conclusion: Auriculotherapy is an effective integrative practice in improving students' well-being in some areas of quality of life, with favorable results in reducing anxiety and depression symptoms