| Study characteristics |
| Methods |
RCT, Australia |
| Participants |
40 trained hospital nurses who complained being overstressed |
| Interventions |
1) Experimental: Ego‐enhancement training: One 50‐minute session and three 20‐minute sessions 1 week as part of training in the techniques of: physical relaxation, mental calmness, disposing of "rubbish", removal of a barrier and enjoyment of a special place.
2) Control: no intervention |
| Outcomes |
Stress Profile |
| Identification |
|
| Notes |
Stress profile included in analysis 2.2. |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Unclear risk |
Quote:"In the first stage of the experiment the nurses were matched on their Profile scores, one member of each pair being allocated at random to either a non‐treatment control group or an experimental group experiencing four treatment sessions" (p. 318) |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
Unclear risk |
Not reported |
| Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Participants not blinded. |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Participants were not blinded whereas outcomes are self‐reported. |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes |
Unclear risk |
It is unclear if any participants dropped out |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) |
Low risk |
Only 1 outcome measure used and reported |
| Other bias |
Low risk |
We did not find any indications of other sources of bias |
