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Psychosocial Effects of Empathy-Based Midwifery Education on Midwifery Students and Pregnant Women
Sponsor: Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University
Summary
This two-stage quasi-experimental study will evaluate the effects of empathy-based midwifery education on midwifery students' empathy and anxiety, and on women's satisfaction with childbirth and perceptions of traumatic birth. In the first stage, third-year midwifery students in the intervention group will receive four face-to-face training sessions over two weeks, totaling 390 minutes. The program will include theoretical instruction, case discussions, role-play, virtual reality activities, mannequin-based simulation, and guided reflection. Students in the control group will continue their usual coursework and clinical practice. Students' empathy and anxiety will be assessed before and after the training. In the second stage, trained students will provide empathetic communication and psychosocial support to women during labor under the supervision of a faculty member and/or the responsible midwife. Support will include active listening, clear information, reassurance, respect for privacy, and assistance with coping during labor. Women in the control group will receive routine maternity care. Maternal satisfaction with childbirth and perceptions of traumatic birth will be assessed after birth, once the mother and newborn are clinically stable. The study will examine whether this educational program improves students' empathy, reduces their anxiety, and contributes to more positive childbirth experiences for women.
Official title: Psychosocial Effects of Empathy-Based Midwifery Education on Midwifery Students and Pregnant Women: A Two-Stage Quasi-Experimental Study
Key Details
Gender
FEMALE
Age Range
18 Years - Any
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
224
Start Date
2026-10-25
Completion Date
2027-01-30
Last Updated
2026-10-22
Healthy Volunteers
Yes
Conditions
Interventions
Empathy-Based Midwifery Education
A structured, face-to-face educational program delivered in four sessions over two weeks, totaling 390 minutes. The program includes theoretical instruction on empathy and woman-centered care, case discussions and role-play on empathic communication during labor, virtual reality and mannequin-based simulation scenarios, and debriefing with feedback. The program is provided in addition to routine midwifery education and clinical placements.
Empathy-Based Midwifery Support During Labor
Empathy-based communication and psychosocial support provided during labor by midwifery students who have completed the educational program, under the supervision of a faculty member and/or responsible midwife. Support includes active listening, recognition of emotional needs, respectful and nonjudgmental communication, clear information, reassurance, privacy protection, and support for coping with labor. This intervention supplements routine clinical care.